52 How to make the most of 



know but that thousands have seen the same effects of charcoal 

 in woods as I have done, for I have seen it in different parts of 

 the country for the last twelve years at least ; but I have not 

 seen it put into practice, nor heard of any person using it, until 

 within the last eighteen months or so. As I have stated- in my 

 first letter [p. 558. of our last volume], I came to think of trying 

 it because I saw nature making use of it. In a place where 

 scarcely a bush or a weed would grow ; where there was a yellow 

 stiff clay, and the subsoil was a rock of clay and gravel ; where 

 the clay had been poached about in wet weather; and where 

 rusty-coloured mineral springs oozed out and ran about, I have 

 seen, from charcoal dust being put on it accidentally, the barren 

 spot become rich and luxuriant. Was not that enough to make 

 me look about, and consider if I could not turn this to good 

 account? I did so, and I have used charcoal ever since, more 

 or less, as I could get it. I put it in bags and place it in 

 cisterns of water, and into the manured water; 1 mix it amongst 

 the earth, and drain almost every plant with it; and I am 

 perfectly satisfied of its attractive purifying qualities. I was 

 a lono; time before I could understand so much about it; but 

 now I shall continue to use it, and I hope to keep my plants 

 in the same healthy state in which you have lately seen them. 

 Bidon Gardens, October 11. 1842. 



Art. III. How io make ike most of a Cottage of only Txvo Rooms. 



ByR. 



Much has been said of late of meclianics' cottages, and some 

 designs have recently been published of dwellings for this class 

 of persons, that have contained j^ue rooms; but we all know 

 that mechanics in general (unless they depend on lodgers) 

 have not the good fortune to enjoy this extent of accom- 

 modation. This is not the state of things that ought to be, 

 but it is the state of things as they are; for many mecha- 

 nics are obliged to be content with even one room, and they 

 consider themselves well off when they have two. At the 

 same time many liberal noblemen build houses for their la- 

 bourers containing five rooms, and even more, with a deal of 

 external ornament to boot ; but this is the exception, not the 

 rule ; therefore we must try to make the most of a two-roomed 

 cottage; and the accompanying plans are submitted for that 

 purpose. 



Fig. 8. is the plan of a two-roomed cottage before it was 

 altered. It was originally a wheelwright's shop, and the land- 



