258 General Results of a Gardening Tour : — 



manufacturing villages in the west of Scotland, have been cer- 

 tainly somewhat improved since the last time we passed leisurely 

 through that country, in 1805 ; but they are still lamentably 

 deficient in several important particulars. The causes of 

 these deficiencies may be partly traced to the landlords, who 

 generally build the cottages ; but principally to the habits of 

 the occupiers. For, on taking an enlarged view of the sub- 

 ject of social improvement, it will be found that the state and 

 condition of every class of men depend chiefly upon them- 

 selves. If the working classes, as a body, determined on 

 bettering their condition, maturely considered the means of 

 doing so, and united in setting about carrying these means 

 into effect, most assuredly they would attain their end. At 

 the same time, something is to be expected from the benevo- 

 lence of the wealthy ; more especially from the employers of 

 gardeners, bailiffs, and other resident servants in country 

 seats ; and it is chiefly to these enlightened and liberal pro- 

 prietors, and their agents, that we now address ourselves. 



The cottages in the west of Scotland may be divided into 

 three classes : — 



1. Those built by small tradesmen, mechanics, or other 

 workmen, for their own occupation, on feued land ; that is, 

 land held on very long or perpetual leases, at a rent of, 

 generally, from 10/. to \5l. an acre. 



2. Cottages built by proprietors, for their servants, as gar- 

 deners, bailiffs, gamekeepers, &c. ; for their mechanics, as 

 carpenters, smiths, &c. ; and for their field labourers, &c. 



3- Cottages built by farmers for their yearly servants. 



We shall notice what we consider to be the faults and de- 

 ficiencies of each of these classes in succession ; and conclude 

 by hinting at an unpardonable defect in the whole of them. 



1. Feuars' Cottages. — The chief objections which we have 

 to these are the two following : — first, the forming of sleeping- 

 rooms in the roof, and making them so small, and with such 

 diminutive windows, that they never can be well ventilated ; 

 and, secondly, the not raising of the ground floors 1 ft. or 2 ft. 

 above the level of the surrounding surface. The importance 

 of a continual supply of fresh air to health, and of dryness to 

 warmth, is not at all understood by the dwellers in cottages 

 generally; otherwise we should not have so many of these 

 buildings with small window-frames fixed in the wall, so as 

 not to admit of opening them for ventilation. A low damp 

 floor is doubly injurious, by the evaporation of its moisture 

 carrying off heat, and by the vapour in the atmosphere of the 

 room diminishing the proportion of oxygen in every mouthful 

 of air inhaled by the lungs. The windows should always be 



