14 THE VILLA GARDENER. 



high, dry, and free ; that is compact in its general form ; that has the diagonal 

 line of its general plan south and north, so as to obtain the sun on every 

 window, on some part of every day that it shines, throughout the year ; or, in 

 other words, that has no front or side pointing directly either east, west, 

 north, or south ; that has the rooms, and especially the kitchen story, lofty, 

 and well lighted and ventilated ; that has a secure roof of slate, lead, or flat 

 tiles ; few creepers on the walls ; and, that is not choked up with trees and 

 bushes. These conditions being complied with, the architectural style of the 

 building may be left, to the taste of the occupant. 



17. As the cubic form is known to enclose more space with the same quan- 

 tity of walling and roof than any other, so it is an established rule, that a 

 house square in the plan is preferable in all that regards comfort, habita- 

 bleness, and economy of heating, keeping clean, and in repair, to one which 

 is irregular in its plan. The next best form to a square is that of a parallelo- 

 gram; and the worst form that can be adopted is that of along, narrow, 

 irregular building. A square house is more compact within, and, from its 

 form, it is warmer in winter and cooler in summer than any other; it is more 

 easily heated; it has less space occupied by passages, and is, consequently, 

 more easily cleaned ; and, externally, it exposes less surface to the atmos- 

 phere, and is, consequently, more easily kept in repair than any other. 

 When economy is the main object, therefore, a square house ought to be 

 chosen ; and, that it may combine architectural beauty with economy, both 

 in first cost and future management and repairs, one should be chosen in 

 which the same description of brick or stone, the same style of workmanship, 

 the same magnitude, kind, and disposition of windows, the same facings to 

 them, the same kind of cornice, and, in short, the same architecture, is 

 adopted on all the four sides. Above all things, as a matter of taste, a house 

 ought to be avoided which has any one of its sides decidedly inferior to the 

 rest, in respect either to architectural design or execution. We should say, 

 also, avoid, in point of habitableness and comfort, every house, the diagonal 

 line of the general plan of which is not south and north; were it not that 

 this maxim would condemn all those hovises which have been built along, and 

 parallel to, streets or roads which run directly east and west, or north and 

 south. Unfortunately, the custom of placing small country houses that are 

 near streets or roads, with one of their sides parallel to that street or road, 

 and without any reference whatever to its direction, is almost universal, even 

 where there is a distance of 100 yards or more between the road and the 

 house, though it is productive of two serious evils, Avhich admit of no remedy. 

 The one is, that the opposite side or front of the house to that which faces 

 the road is considered as the back, and is, therefore, generally designed and 

 finished in an inferior style : and the other is, that no attention can be paid to 

 placing the diagonal line of the plan of the house due south and north ; and 

 that, whether this is the case or not, depends on the direction of the road, and 

 not on the will of the builder. The latter is much the greater evil ; for so 

 numerous are the advantages of this disposition of the plan, in point of solar 

 light, warmth, ventilation, and cheerfulness, and even dryness and healthy 

 vegetation in the garden or adjoining grounds, that, in our opinion, it ought 

 to be made the governing principle in the placing of every detached house, 

 whatever may be the direction of the road to which the house may be said to 

 belong. 



