Construction of Labourers' Cottages. 497 



The pantry should not communicate directly with the wash- 

 house or scullery, since the food contained in the former would 

 be rendered unwholesome by the operations carried on in the 

 latter. A receptacle for coal should be constructed under the 

 stairs, within easy access from the living-room. 



Relative to the arrangement of rooms, &c. in labourers' cottages, 

 Mr. Loudon says* — 



" The door to the front kitchen or best room should open from the porch, 

 and not from the hack kitchen, wliich, as it contains the cooking utensils and 

 washing ajjparatus, can never be fit for being passed through by a stranger, or 

 even the master of the family, where projDer regard is had by the mistress to 

 cleanliness or delicacy. 



" When tlicre is not a supply of clean water from a spring adjoining the cot- 

 tage, or from some other efficient source, then there ought to be a -well or tank 

 partly under tlie floor of the back kitchen, supplied from the roof, with a pump 

 in the back kitchen for drawing it up for use." 



By placing the tank or well under the back kitchen, we both 

 preserve the water from frost and save the labour of carrying it. 



The stairs should rise from the entrance porch or lobby, so that 

 the bed-rooms may be approached without passing through the 

 living-rooms ; the convenience of such arrangement in case of 

 sickness or death must be apparent. 



In the internal fittings a contrivance (see Fig. in the accompa- 

 nying Plan, No. 4), which is attended with small expense, might 

 be introduced. It consists in merely turning the shutter into a 

 table ; when the latter is not required it can be let down, and it is 

 then entirely out of the way. 



There is one somewhat important fitting of a cottage to which 

 we would briefly advert, namely, the window. 



We have specified for oak frames with wrought-iron casements 

 as the most easily obtained ; but at the same time we think that 

 the cottage-window invented by Messrs. M'Culloch and Co. of 

 Glasgow is preferable. 



The committee of the Highland Agricultural Socictv appointed 

 to consider the means of improving tlio lodging of the peasantry 

 gave much attention to the subject. They offered a premium for 

 the best description of cottage window, and awarded the same to 

 the one invented by M'Culloch. 



" The window for which the premium was awarded to Jfessrs. IVI'Cullocli 

 and Co. is extremely sinqilc in its construction, and may with safety lx> j>ro- 

 nounced elTicient in point of comfort and utility ; wiiile tlie price, it is believed, 

 will Ik- not liiglier than tlie cheajx-st description of iron windows now in use, 

 and for durability will Ix; preferable to those of any other material. The 

 dimensions tliat liave l)een recommended for the windows of ordinary cottages 

 are 39 inches for the height, and 24 inches to the widtli, within the wooden 

 frames. Tin; size of glass required for these frames is 7f by of inches. Tlie 



♦ Chadwick's Sanitary Report, p. 397. 



