EN( Ul.oi'l.iil.l OF AGRICULTURE. soffumkki 



vjii . /',./,;/,. ground. The next thing to be spoken "i i- the allotment i<.r potatoes, &c, without which 

 10 cottage would, In these days, be thought complete. But, of course, this allotment would be much 

 smaller In the case ol a cottager keeping a cow, than In that ol a labourer with only a garden to attend 

 to. The cowkeeper would have many little odd jobs to <io conn< cted with his cow and land, which 



would leave him not leisure ei ^rli to cultivate an extensive potato ground besides his garden. Nothing 



pays a labourer so well as working for n master; consequently, a garden cannot answer to a cottager if he 

 Is obliged to lose time, as they express it, in order to cultivate it. A cowkeeper'a ground for potatoes, 

 ,\c should therefore he smaller than thai of another labourer, because the man will not have much 

 li isure, and the wife will have less, as she will have the produce of the cow to manage, in addition to the 

 ordinary cares of the family. Hot it the cowkeeper have not constant employment with a master, the 

 case would he altered, ami he would require as large an allotment as other labourers. He would proba- 

 bly cultivate in- ground on a different plan from that followed by ordinary cottagers, lie would not have 

 space lor a plot of corn, and it would answer his purpose better to grow cabbages, Swedish turnips, inan- 

 gold vvurzel or something that would be useful for the cow, on that part of his ground not occupied by the 

 potato crop : indeed, a man w ho has a cow and pigs should consider their wants in his gardening almost 

 as much as he does tlmsc of his family, and his pigs should nearly live on vegetables during the summer. 



B242. Grass land. We conclude with a few observations upon the grass land which the cottager is to 

 CM cupy lor the use of his cow. This should he about three acres, divided into two enclosures. I believe 

 three acres ol lair grass land are generally considered the quantity required to summer and winter a 

 con ; but, it a less quantity would he sufficient, of course the cottager would not desire more, as it would 

 cause an unnecessary addition to his rent. He had better have rather too much land than too little, as 

 the profit ol a cow depends in a great measure on its being well fed. lie would probably mow his fields 

 for hay alternately, as he would not he able to manure very freely. He must, however, manure a portion 

 of his grass land every year, or it would go back ; and, if he were a good manager, he would be able to do 

 tins; for it is surprising what a heap of compost a managing person will collect who keeps a cow, and two 

 or three pigs, and gathers every thing that can lie converted into manure from the garden, the yard, 

 1 ne drains, and the roads about the premises. If he had not too large a potato-ground, a cottager, situated 

 as I have described, would not be a good manager if he could not contrive to dress over an acre of his 

 grass with compost every year; and this would be sufficient to keep it in heart if it were mowed every 

 alternate year. There is one thing connected with allotments of land to labourers, which I would pros 

 on the attention of cottage owners, that whatever land is let to a labourer should he adjacent to his 

 house. It should be remembered that tin- cottager's land is to be cultivated during the leisure time he 

 has after having done an honest day's work for his master. His land, therefore, should benear his abode, 

 that he may make use of all his time, half of which would be wasted in walking backwards and forwards 

 if his land happened to be at a distance. If, also, his land were at home, he would spend many a half 

 hour spudding thistles, or spreading dung in the field, or doing many little odd jobs, which would he left 

 undone if the field were some way oil'. Moreover, it works a man too hard to line to walk a quarter of 

 a mile, or more, to his extra labour, after, perhaps, walking a much greater distance from the place where 

 lie works for a master. He would do half as much more work, and do it with more pleasure to himself, 

 il lie could do it at home, where he could immediately retire into the house when he felt fatigued. In short, 

 if a cottager is to do any good with land, it should be within an easy distance of his home. Imagine (lie 

 extra labour occasioned to the cottager when he has to wheel out the manure, and bring home the pro- 

 duce of his land, distant, perhaps, a quarter of a mile from his house. Where the cottages belong chiefly 

 to one proprietor, who is the principal landowner in the parish, it may generally be contrived that the 

 allotment of land may adjoin the cottage, or be at least a convenient distance from it. A cottager can 

 generally afford to pay as good a rent for land as an ordinary farmer ; and, if he can afford to pay lor it, 

 he may reasonably expect to have it conveniently situated. 



8243. General observations. I believe I have noticed most of the conveniences, internal and external, 

 which in these times would be thought requisite to form a complete labourer's cottage. 1 am aware that 

 the description given goes very far beyond the ordinary run of cottages, as they are at present. My aim 

 li: - been to make it so ; but 1 hope I have suggested nothing but what is absolutely necessary for the 

 decent comfort of a family. My aim has also been to speak of practical improvements ; and to show how 

 the domestic accommodations of the peasantry may be increased at a moderate expense. There are 

 many desirable improvement- and luxuries suggested by writers on cottage architecture, which I have 

 forborne to mention, for this reason ; because costly improvements are not likely to be applied to cottages ; 

 and it is useless to recommend luxuries fur labourers' dwellings, which are not found in the bouses ol 

 wealthy farmers and tradesmen, and even in those of the smaller gentry. Our peasantry, however, have 

 no desire or taste for luxurious habitations. They wish for comfortable cottages ; that is, dry, warm, and, 

 above all, sufficiently roomy dwellings, in which their families may be conveniently accommodated, 

 without violating the common decencies of life. If they had houses of this description," they would have 

 every reason to be satisfied, and would be so, without unnecessary luxuries. And I hope the time is fast 

 advancing when the improvement which has taken place in the habitations of all classes above them 

 will lie extended to labourers' cottages. 



sj 1-1 2NH1. Asphalt e, as the upper layer of the floors of cottages, effectually prevents the rising of damp : 



as it also does when introduced in a thin layer in a wall, a little above the surface. (G. M. 1840, p. 864.) 

 It has, as we have already mentioned (8216. 1, been found to form excellent barn floors. 



8245. Design for a three-plough fat met ii. by Mr. Mackenzie of Perth. Fig. 1171. is a ground plan ; 

 tig. 1 17'-'.. an i-. .metrical view ; and fig. 1 173., a vertical profile. This three-plough farmery is understood 

 tn he built upon level ground ; with the straw-yard cut out hollow in the centre of a basin figure ; that 

 being the best form for retaining t hi- moisture among the manure. In fixing the position of the different 

 ranges of the buildings, the highest ate put dow n to front the north and east, as best suiting the purposes 

 to which those parts of the farmery are to he applied ; and at the same time adding to the comfort of the 

 cattle in the sheds and straw-yards, by sheltering them in the directions which ate generally the coldest. 



3246. The byres (c, d), which are low buildings on the west, and the pigsties (v), which are on the 



south, do not shade the straw-yard and cattle-sheds, but admit the rays of tin- sun to all parts id' them. 



mi. house is supposed to be situated on the south-w est of the' farmery, with the kitchen court 



adjacent to the cow-byre, calf-yard, &c. ; thus keeping the offices which are managed by the house 



in one division, and those under the management of the farm servants in the other division of 



tl stahli-hlnelit. 



82 :7. The threshing machinery (I), being placed in a corner of the square, discharges the threshed 

 corn nit" the clean corn-room («i), in the direction of the granary, which occupies the upper story of 

 that side of the square ; and the straw is thrown from it into the s'traw-house, which is in the direction 

 of the straw-chambers, over the feeding-ln re, stall.,, 4c., on the other side of the square. The clean 

 corn-room thus communicates with the granary, which extends from this point over the cart-shed. In 

 this waj the clean corn-room and granary occupy a side of the square apart from the offices allotted for 

 the cattle, and the other apartments connected with ihem ; and. as the corn-room can be locked up the 

 moment the operation of threshing is finish) d, no opportunity is left for the grain being pilfered or in- 

 jured. The granary in this situation has not only the advantage of the ventilators in the side walls, but 

 it has also the benefit of the free air from the open cart-shed under it. which acts upon the grain through 

 the joint- ol the floor. The cart-shed under the granary, besides being beneficial to it for air. is con- 

 vene nt. particularly where a farm is situated at a considerable distance from a market-town; or in the 

 winter season, when the cart- require to be loaded on the evening preceding the market-day ; as it can 

 In dull, before yoking (putting the horses in), and without moving the carts from under their cover, bv 



