496 Construction of Labourers' Cottages. 



and the expenses increased ; for these gables cause constant leaks, 

 and the sharp gothic roof renders it necessary that the bedrooms 

 should be partly constructed in the roof, by which their cubical 

 contents are diminished and ventilation rendered more difficult. 



But if the builder is prepared to incur the further cost, the 

 domestic conveniences of the accompanying design may be adapted 

 to a more tasteful and attractive elevation. (See elevation B.) 



We would suggest that the best plan of erecting cottages is to 

 build them in detached pairs, such an arrangement being cheaper 

 and warmer. 



In connection with each pair there should be about a quarter 

 of an acre of garden ground ; the same should extend before and 

 behind the cottage. It is advisable to have a front garden and 

 back yard (the latter being entered from the back kitchen), con- 

 taining a privy, liquid manure tank or covered cesspool, and a 

 place for dust and ashes. 



We would strongly advise that proprietors should never intrust 

 to their renting farmers the erection of labourers' dwellings. The 

 injurious results of such a reprehensible practice are clearly 

 visible in those miserable hovels which are dignified by the name 

 of cottages. 



Arrangement of Rooms and Internal Fittings. — In the arrange- 

 ment of the rooms we will commence with the chamber-floor; 

 and here we would suggest that it should be essential to provide 

 every cottage with three bedrooms, such an arrangement being 

 absolutely necessary to preserve decency and morality. 



It has been well observed by a recent writer ''' that — 



" One crying evil prevails — want of proper sleeping accommodation for a 

 family. Many cottages have only one, few more than two sleeping-rooms, 

 often to accommodate a man and his wife, and growing-iip sons and daughters. 

 How mider such circumstances can the rural pojmlation he expected to gi'ow np 

 in habits of decency, morality, and virtue ? And liow can we wonder at the 

 amount of vice and immorality which unfortunately prevails ? " 



The size of these rooms forms the next consideration. No 

 bedroom should either be formed wholly or partially in the roof, 

 or have a less cubical content than 500 feet. The allowance in 

 hospitals is 1000 cubic feet of air for each occupant, in prisons 

 and unions 500. The contents of the bedrooms of the accom- 

 panying plan are 8x 9x8 = 576 feet for the smaller ones, and 

 12 X 12 X 8 = 1152 feet for the larger ones. 



In the arrangement of the ground-floor the door of the living- 

 room should not open at once on the outer air, but should, if pos- 

 sible, lead into a kind of entrance-passage or porch. No dwelling 

 can be warm where this, or a similar arrangement does not exist, 



* Sturge on the Farming of Somersetshire, p. 173. 



