Retrospective Criticism. 93 



It appears to me that the St. Helena wheat is about as good a variety as any 

 I have. I had ten grains at first; and the quantity last sown was 12 pints, 

 weighing 12 lb. 2 oz. : breadth of land dibbled was 21^ rods. — Samuel Taylor. 

 Stoke Ferry, Norfolk, Jan. 10. 1839. 



Art. II. Retrospective Criticism. 



The Encyclopaedia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture. — 

 I am so fully persuaded of the extensive usefulness of your publications, but 

 more especially of your valuable Encyclopaedia of Cottage and Villa Architec- 

 ture, that I am desirous of calling your attention to a subject which is there 

 but slightly touched upon ; probably because it is not very interesting to 

 Englishmen in their own country, although highly important to those who 

 have left it. I allude to cottages and small villa residences adapted for the 

 hundreds, we may almost say thousands, who are now settled in the different 

 colonies of Australia, or who are on the point of making that country their 

 home. The portable habitations you have so well described have been, I 

 understand, most extensively adopted; yet these, of course, are but temporary 

 dwellings : for, so soon as a settler is located upon his own land, he 

 begins to think of building a house of more substantial materials. Such 

 dwellings, as you well know, should be adapted, in all respects, to the nature 

 of the climate ; and hence it follows, that the styles and plans perfectly 

 suited to the cold and comfortless atmosphere which pervades half the English 

 year, are altogether inapplicable to the warm plains and sunny winters of 

 Australia. If some of your numerous architectural correspondents would 

 contribute their aid in this branch of their art, what a benefit they would 

 confer upon the Anglo-Australians, and how much would they do towards 

 introducing a chaste and appropriate style in their buildings. Having lived a 

 good deal in tropical climates, a few hints, perhaps, might be useful on this 

 head. Generally speaking, in England, we want warmth in our houses; there 

 they want cold. Here, the light of heaven is taxed ; there, we may use it as 

 we like. Window glass, to be sure, must be had from England, and that is 

 ruinously expensive : but the Portuguese in Brazil have a method in the con- 

 struction of their windows highly curious ; and, as I have never seen it used 

 elsewhere, I will just pause to describe their plan. The windows of their 

 country or villa cottages are always large, without any sashes, fixed or unfixed, 

 but merely closed by two folding wooden shutters : each of these shutters, 

 however, has a little window of its own, which is fixed in the wood, and com- 

 posed of small diamond-shaped panes of 

 glass, {fig. 20.) During the day, the shutters 

 are invariably open, when the weather is fine 

 (and it is hardly ever otherwise) ; but, in any 

 heavy squall of rain, the shutters are closed, 

 the little windows in them throwing sufficient 

 light into the room for all ordinary purposes : 

 the shower past, the shutters are again opened. 

 By this plan, two great objects are gained : 

 1st, that of having as much and as free a 

 circulation of air as possible ; and, 2dly, being 

 at a very trifling expense in glass. I may even add a third, which is that of 

 excluding the sun, when it strikes into the room, by closing the shutters, 

 which thus act as blinds, without any extra expense. Such windows I should 

 recommend to all Australians, rich or poor: the glass part may be secured 

 inside by a small shutter of its own. 



Another important thing would be, to have a good-sized room, open on 

 three sides, without walls, but with very far projecting eaves ; by which 

 great breadth of shade would be secured all round the house. This might be 

 used for the general sitting-room of the family in summer : it would be cooler 



