96 AGRICULTURE ON THE RHINE. 



The value of the building is indicated by the thickness 

 of the timber shown to be employed in this framework. 

 Formerly, while timber was abundant and cheap, this style 

 of building was recommended by economy ; now stone, 

 which is almost always to be had, and bricks, are less 

 expensive, excepting to the owners of forests. The 

 house usually contains one or two sleeping-rooms, besides 

 a sitting-room and kitchen ; sometimes the same number 

 of rooms is found in an upper story. The roof is in- 

 variably lofty, and serves the purpose of storehouse and 

 barn. In its spacious cavity the thrashed corn, the hay, 

 and often the vegetable store for winter use are kept. The 

 housewife dries her clothes in winter on the cross-beams. 

 A cellar is invariably found in better houses, and in 

 general when a stranger is told that these are the abodes 

 of people little above the station of cottiers, he finds them 

 splendid. When he hears that these cottiers are the 

 landow^ners and masters of the soil, he scarcely knows 

 how to estimate their position. 



The expense of a small peasant's house varies on the 

 Rhine from 500 to 2000 dollars. 



If of one story, with high roof, 3 rooms 

 Ditto, with roof an(f cellar, 3 rooms,! 



stable and baiii, under the same roof I 

 Two stories, with roof and cellar . . . 

 Two stories, with stables and loft, and^ 



thrashing-barn between the cow-house > 



and stable, under one roof ... 3 



The barn serves as a passage from which the cows 

 are fed during the greater part of the year. At the side 

 of the cowhouse the wall is open. 



With the best will it is scarcely possible for a family 



