Cottage Economy. 479 



ture and direct perpendicular cold, will add greatly to the warmth of the 

 house. 



Whatever be the style of architecture adopted for a cottage, it ought 

 not to be forgotten that most room, and, for the same expense, greater con- 

 venience, can be obtained from a square building than from any other 

 form ; and that a great many exterior angles, either in the walls or roof, 

 are not only more expensive at first and in future repairs, but seldom so 

 well executed in cottage building as effectually to exclude the weather. 

 It will easily be understood that the greater additional surface given to the 

 exterior of a building by these projections and recesses, the greater will be 

 the cold produced by constant radiation, evaporation of moisture, and ab- 

 duction by winds. The best possible form of a cottage in point of warmth, 

 would be that of a semiglobe ; we do not, however, recommend this form 

 nor that of a cube for general imitation, but only refer to them as illustra- 

 tive of principles. We regret that more attention is not devoted to cot- 

 tage architecture for the lowest classes, by young architects, and shall 

 frequently recur to the subject. In the mean time we repeat our recom- 

 mendation of Waistell's Designs already recommended (p. 212.), and we 

 hope the subject will be taken up and pursued till it is exhausted, in a 

 work where the good will come into immediate and extensive use, the 

 Mechanic's Magazine. 



It has been usual to address proprietors and masters, as a matter of 

 favour and condescension, to improve the external appearance and add 

 to the interior comforts of the cottages on their estates ; which is so far 

 commendable, because the attainment of a desirable object ought to be 

 attempted by every lawful means : but it might easily be shown that one 

 reason why cottages, those of gardeners at least, are not more comfortable 

 and commodious than they are, is the indifference or backwardness of 

 their occupants in making the proper representations to their employers. 

 It is not to be expected that those who move in an elevated sphere, and 

 pass their time in the continued round of occupations and amusements 

 peculiar to elevated and independent life, can either be acquainted with 

 the details, or possessed of the leisure requisite to enable them to enter 

 into matters which concern the personal comforts of their servants. 

 Every man's world is the class of society to which he belongs, and it may 

 often happen that an individual in one class may know little more of those 

 classes which rank under or above him, than an inhabitant of the earth 

 can know of those of the moon or the sun. It is the duty therefore of 

 gardeners and others, when they wish for increased comforts in their cot- 

 tages or in anything else, respectfully to state their case to their employers, 

 and to point out what would add to their happiness. A judicious and rea- 

 sonable master will be much better satisfied with a servant who acts thus 

 candidly and honestly, than with another, who, under a false notion that 

 it is the duty of his master to attend to his comforts unasked, grieves in 

 secret because nothing is done, and finally becomes careless and neglects 

 his business. Every prudent and worldly-minded master knows that to 

 supply a want before it is properly felt is like taking goods to a falling 

 market, and every servant ought to know that the first step towards the 

 supplying of his wants is to make them known. Though we admit, there- 

 fore, that there is great want of improvement and^comfort in the cottages 

 both of country labourers and gardeners, yet we cannot agree in throwing 

 the blame exclusively upon the proprietors; but think a considerable 

 share attaches to the occupants ; to their false notions as to the relative 

 duties of master and servant ; and, in some cases, to a degree of indifference, 

 or want of good taste, on the subject of personal comforts. 



