POULTRY-HOUSES. 



plans which have been published. The young 

 reader or novice is thus induced to think and 

 plan for himself, and to refer his opinions and 

 practice to fundamental principles ; while the 

 experienced practitioner may adopt the designs 

 of those which suit him best. 



We will therefore commence by giving some 

 of the European plans, and add several plans 

 adopted in our own country, which differ from 

 the foreign in some respects very materially, 

 and which will probably be found as well, if not 

 better, calculated for our purposes than either 

 of them; and by having a description of the 

 different kinds a choice can be made, or one 

 constructed by taking parts of either and com- 

 bining the advantages of the whole. 



QUEEN VICTORIA'S POULTRY-HOUSE. 



[See engraving on page 45.] 

 "In a secluded wood on the boundaries of 

 the Home Park, stands the Home Farm, or the 

 (arm attached to Windsor Castle the private 

 farm of her Majesty. In this establishment, 

 which was founded by George III., are situated 

 the royal fowl-house and poultry-yards, but of 

 which, notwithstanding their great interest, the 

 public know nothing, save the mere fact of their 

 existence. Here, her Majesty, retiring from 

 the fatigues of state, finds a grateful relief in 

 the simple pursuits of a country life. In culti- 

 vating the homely recreations of a farm, her 

 Majesty has exhibited great industry and much 

 good taste. The buildings and farm routine 

 which sufficed for the clumsy management of 

 1 793, have been discovered by Her Majesty to 

 be totally unsuited to the more enlightened 

 system of 1843, and hence, under the direction 

 of Her Majesty and Prince Albert, and others, 

 nn entire reorganization of the establishment 

 has been determined, and is now in progress. 



"The fowl-house lately built at Windsor is 

 a semi.-gothic building, of simple and appropri- 

 ate beauty. It consists of a central pavilion, 

 used for inspecting the fowls, crowned on the 

 top by an elegant dove-cot, and on the sides, of 

 wings capable of symmetric extension, in which 

 .-ire placed the model roosting-houses, and lay- 

 ing and breeding nests of the fowls. The ground, 

 in front, slopes toward the Park, and is inclosed 



and divided by light wire fences into separate 

 wards, for the 'run,' or daily exercise of the 

 birds. Inside these wards, gravel walks, bor- 

 dered by grass plots, lead to the entrances of 

 the fowl-houses. In the proportions, distribu- 

 tions, and fittings of the apartments of this 

 house, considerable knowledge of the habits, 

 with a corresponding and most commendable 

 regard to the conveniences of their granivo- 

 rous tenants, has been displayed ; the chambers 

 are spacious, airy, and of an equal and rather 

 warm temperature, which accords with their 

 original habits, and their nests are made as far 

 as possible to resemble the dark bramble-cov- 

 ered recesses of their original jungles. In this 

 particular her Majesty has set a good example 

 to the farmers, who too often follow the false 

 routine of their fathers, rather than consult the 

 habits and obey the natural instincts of the ani- 

 mals about them." London Pictorial Times. 



LORD PENRYN'S POULTRY-HOUSE. 



This establishment is described by Dickson as 

 follows : " The most magnificent poultry-place 

 perhaps that has ever been built, is at Lord 

 Penryn's, at Winnington, in Cheshire. It con- 

 sists of a handsome elegant front, extending 140 

 feet ; at each extremity of which is a neat pavil- 

 ion, with a large arched window. These pavil- 

 ions are united to the centre of the design by a 

 colonnade of several cast-iron pillars painted 

 white, which support a cornice, and a slate roof, 

 covering a paved walk, and a variety of different 

 conveniences for the poultry, for keeping eggs, 

 corn, and the like. The doors into these are 

 of lattice-work, also painted white, and the fram- 

 ing green. In the middle of the front are four 

 handsome stone columns, and four pilasters, 

 supporting likewise a cornice and a slate roof, 

 under which and between the columns is a 

 beautiful Mosaic iron gate ; on one side of this 

 gate is an elegant little parlor, beautifully pa- 

 pered and furnished ; and at the other end of 

 the colonnade a very neat kitchen, so exces- 

 sively clean, and in such high order, that it is 

 delightful to view it. This front is the diame- 

 ter or chord of a large semicircular court be- 

 hind, round which there is also a colonnade, 

 and a great variety of conveniences for the 



