FREESTONE COTTAGE. 



The South Down sheep is a good sized animal, with a snug, compact fleece of medium 

 qualit}^; a black or dark brown face; robust in its figure, and of exceeding ripeness of 

 points. It is emphatically the " mutton sheep" of England, with a dark, venison colored 

 flesh, arriving at early maturity, and giving a "saddle" and "chop" equaled by no 

 other sheep among us. They are exceedingly gentle and quiet in their habits, hardy in 

 constitution, prolific, and easily kept, either in a lean pasture, or in the straw yard. Their 

 value, thorough bred, ranges from $10 to $20. 



If a lake, a pond, or running stream lie within the park, the large African, or the White 

 or Brown China, or the Bremen Goose, is a most ornamental, as well as useful water fowl. 

 The African or China, has the long arched neck, and all the grace and beauty of the Swan, 

 and their cry at a distance, is really musical. They are fine and delicate in their flesh, 

 very domestic, and in all but our most northerly climates, quite hardy. They are, with 

 abundance of water, a decided ornament to the pleasure grounds. 



There are many spacious grounds and extensive farms in several of our states, where 

 fine herds and flocks of some of the varieties of cattle and sheep described, are kept and 

 bred in great purity, and easily accessible to those who desire them. No well managed 

 country establishment, either of the professional farmer or amateur, can be complete with- 

 out a specimen of some one breed of choice animals upon it; and when we in America, 

 shall have learned the true art of country life as they understand it in England, no place 

 of any pretension will be found which shall not embrace more or less of these fine varie- 

 ties of stock within its enclosures, as giving character, finish and eSect, to its appoint- 

 ments. 



My remarks on this subject, may, I am aware, be thought to " smell of the shop;" but 

 convinced, as I am, that in the United States we are most lamentably behind the times in 

 this important appendage to our country establishments ; and referring to a recent conver- 

 sation with you on this subject, I thus " give tongue" to my thoughts. And I will only 

 add my entire conviction that he who seeks one of the highest enjoyments of country life, 

 can do no better than to cultivate a taste, both in himself and in his family, for the appre- 

 ciation of fine domestic animals, in which they will find some of their purest and least 

 expensive pleasures. It is so with many who from entire indifference, have become enthu- 

 siasts in their love of them ; and for myself — though it be egotism to say it — in my own 

 island park of some hundreds of acres, I find no serener pleasure than with my honest 

 shepherd dog at my side, to stroll out among my Short-horns, my Devons, and my 

 South Downs, and amid the summer beauty of woods, and grass, and waters, to call them 

 around me in their joyous fulness, and commune with their gentle natures as one entrust- 

 ed by a kind Providence with the care of his subordinate creatures, and whose bounty in 

 their beautiful creation, it would be guilt in me to neglect. Lewis F, Allen. 



Black Rock, N. Y., Feb., 1851. 



FREESTONE COTTAGE AT MIDDLETOWN, CONN. 



(SEE FRONTISPIECE.) 



Dear Sir — As your journal is in part devoted to the progress of rural architecture, I 

 venture to send 5-ou the engravings of a beautiful cottage erected in this place by Mr. D. 

 Barnes — which is not only tastefully designed, but one of the best built residences in the 

 state 



house stands on the west side of High-street, which is lined on both sides wi 



riety of beautiful shade trees in double rows, and is emphatically the street of the 



