242 THE BOOK OF THE LANDED ESTATE. 



being improved as it ought to be, for good men with capital will not 

 occupy inferior houses in the country while they can live more comfort- 

 ably elsewhere. 



Another point in regard to farmhouses is, that they are frequently 

 placed too near to the steadings to be either healthy or agreeable to live 

 in. I would suggest, therefore, that every farmhouse should be erected 

 on a pleasant site at some distance from the steading, and in front of it. 

 If there are no trees growing on the site, these should be planted so as 

 to give shelter and pleasing effect at the same time ; and in all cases 

 there should be a good kitchen-garden attached, with a neat flower- 

 garden and shrubbery between it and the house, so as to give the place 

 a villa character. 



As there is such variety in the sizes of farms, it may be inferred, from 

 what I have stated, that a great many different sizes of dwelling-houses 

 are also required ; but taking, the generality of farms, the various kinds 

 of dwelling-houses wanted may be set down as consisting of three 

 kinds namely, first, second, and third class : a first-class farmhouse 

 being suitable for a farmer paying a rent of from 700 to 1000 and 

 upward per annum ; a second-class farmhouse being suitable for a tenant 

 paying an annual rent of from 300 to 500 ; and a third-class farm- 

 house being necessary for a tenant paying an annual rent of from 150 

 and under 300. 



With regard to farm-steadings, it is of course understood that they 

 should be of such a character as to accommodate in a comfortable and 

 satisfactory way the general produce of the farms respectively, and the 

 different kinds of animals reared and kept on them ; and not only this, 

 but they should also be so arranged, in reference to their respective com- 

 partments, as to insure the least possible labour being required in attend- 

 ing either to live stock or crop. Unless a farm-steading is constructed 

 so as to secure these necessary conditions, it is unsuitable for profitable 

 farming. 



In examining farm-steadings, however, it is to be found that very few 

 indeed can be said to be sufficiently commodious and well arranged for 

 all the purposes required to carry on farming in a first-class way. In a 

 large proportion of them the accommodation for the beasts is wretched 

 in the extreme ; in many others the compartments, from having been 

 added from time to time, and without any fixed plan, are most incon- 

 veniently situated for the profitable working of the whole ; and in not a 

 few cases we find the buildings on sites either too low lying, and therefore 

 wet, or too high lying, and therefore exposed to cold and cutting winds. 

 These deficiencies in regard to farm-steadings are very much against the 

 interests of proprietors, for whenever farm-steadings are deficient in com- 



