134 
Cottages  for  Rural  Labourers. 
article  in  the  Journal^)  by  submitting  a few  designs  for  tlie 
attainment  of  the  desired  end. 
As  a minimum  of  cost  with  a due  regard  to  efficiency  is 
necessary,  every  detail  must  be  considered — the  superficial 
area  which  is  recpiired  in  each  apartment,  as  well  as  the 
cubical  contents  of  the  living  rooms  for  the  ])reservation  of 
health  ; and  then  it  remains  by  a careful  arrangement  of  the 
])arts  to  avoid  the  slightest  waste  of  space  so  that  the  whole 
shall  occupy  a minimum  area.  This  should  be  combined 
with  an  effort  to  give  the  best  facilities  for  the  working 
convenience  of  the  inmates,  and  the  use  of  such  suitable 
materials  as  the  district  can  most  chea])ly  supply. 
In  the  instructions  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture  with 
reference  to  the  erection  of  buildings  under  the  Improvement 
Acts,  it  is  stated  that  “ three  bedrooms  should  be  provided  in 
each  labourer’s  cottage,  neither  of  them  being  a passage  room 
to  another.  Where,  however,  many  cottages  have  to  be 
built,  a proportion  with  two  bedrooms  for  labourers  without 
families  will  not  be  objected  to.  Firej)laces  should  be  provided- 
in  two  bedrooms,  but  in  the  case  of  cottages  with  three  bed- 
rooms a ventilator  twelve  inches  square  in  the  ceiling  of  the 
third  room  may  be  substituted  for  a fireplace.” 
I quite  agree  that  a proportion  of  cottages,  where  a number 
are  required,  will  do  with  two  bedrooms  only — say  .50  ]>er  cent. 
— as  neither  men  with  very  young  children,  nor  older  men 
whose  families  have  left  home,  require  more  ; but  of  course, 
if  a pair  of  cottages  be  wanted  in  an  isolated  ]dace  for  the 
use  of  a farm,  or  otherwise,  it  is  safer  to  provide  the  three 
bedrooms. 
Block  of  Four  Cottages. — Plan  No.  1 (Figs.  1 to  fi) 
carries  out  the  idea  of  two  cottages  with  three  bedrooms  and 
two  with  two  bedrooms.  The  ground  fioor  walls  arc  of 
brick ; the  walls  of  the  u])per  storey  are  of  timber  studs, 
with  rough  cast  lath  and  plaster,  and  projecting  over  the 
kitchens  of  the  end  cottages  with  two  bedrooms,  thus 
enlarging  these  as  well  as  imj)roving  the  elevation  of  the 
cottages.  The  roof  is  covered  with  ])lain  tiling.  There 
are  two  bedroom  fire})laces  to  each  cottage,  and  the 
dimensions  of  the  various  rooms  are  fairly  sufficient  for 
the  ordinary  requirements  of  the  class  of  persons  who  occupy 
them.  Care  has  been  taken  to  avoid  any  waste  of  space,  and 
Journal  K.A.S.E.,  Vol.  r>7,  1896,  pp.  288-292, 
