356 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[December, 
of this journal. If they desire only a candid ex¬ 
amination of the claims of their lands to public 
attention, let them take fair and honorable means 
to secure it—their present course will not expe¬ 
dite their object. If they hope to extort from 
us by legal force, what they may have failed to 
get from their lands, they will have to wait 
a while at least. Ten thousand dollars will pay 
for a ‘ considerable ’ tract of some of the lands 
of Long Island, even at the price they cost the 
present proprietors, and if after a thorough, full 
investigation of the subject, a jury shall, in due 
time, decide that our four or five lines, more or 
less, are of as much value as 2000 acres of Long 
Island land, and the court of last resort shall con¬ 
firm the decree, why we shall cheerfully “ fork 
over.” But of that there can be no probability 
even, and if there were, the kind appreciation of 
our past course by our readers,and the efforts now 
so generally being put forth by them all over the 
country to increase our subscription list, would 
doubtless supply the means, when needed. 
■- ■* - — - • 
Plans for a House—$200 Premium offered 
for Elevation Plans to Correspond. 
We have on hand a considerable number of 
plans for Houses, Barns, and other buildings, to 
be used as we have room. All such plans are 
suggestive, and are therefore interesting, not only 
to those who have permanent structures already 
erected, and to those about to build, but also to 
those who hope to build—and who does not ? 
We present in this number a ground plan, and 
a chamber plain, for a Dwelling, designed by 
Hon. Wm. D. Bishop, of Bridgeport, Ct., former¬ 
ly Commissioner of Patents. He is desirous of 
obtaining the best Elevation, or outside plans, for 
a house to contain essentially the arrangement 
of room?, etc., shown in the annexed plans, 
and authorizes us to offer for him, a premium 
of $200 for the best plan that may be proposed. 
The plans offered for competition, are to be sent 
to his address, on or before .Tan. 20,1861. They 
will be submitted to a Committee of experienced 
builders, and the premium paid to the person 
whose plan shall be pronounced best by them. 
[We cheerfully publish this proposition in con¬ 
sideration of being furnished with the plan 
adopted, for publication in the Agriculturist.'] 
All persons competing, are invited to offer any 
suggestions as to slight alterations in the floor 
plans, provided that the size of the rooms be not 
reduced, that the general arrangement be not 
interfered with, and the cost be not increased. 
location, Material, Cost, and Architecture .—The 
location is to be about in the center of a 7-acre 
plot, nearly level, laid out with lawn in front 
and on the sides, and kitchen-garden, carriage- 
house, and out-buildings in the rear. A public 
street runs along the south-east side of the plot, 
and another along the north-east side. The 
main front of the house is to face the south-east. 
The structure is to be of wood; the first floor 20 
to 24 inches above the general level of the 
ground. The roof to he steep enough for shin¬ 
gles or slate. Total cost not to exceed $10,000. 
The style of architecture will be left to the Ar¬ 
chitect — provided it be not Gothic or Grecian. 
Sundry Notes on tice Plans. —The gener¬ 
al arrangement and size of the rooms, are suffi¬ 
ciently indicated in the diagrams and descrip¬ 
tive notes. The main rooms of the first floor 
are to be lli feet high in the clear. The 
second story 9 feet in the clear. The Chamber 
Plan (fig. 2,) shows what part of the structure is 
to bo two stories in bight. Attic room sufficient 
for servants, and for storage, will be required. 
The space to the right of 0, and to the left of P, 
on the ground plan, (fig. 1.) shows the part ex¬ 
tending under continuation of Piazza Hoof 
Fig. 1 —GROUND PLAN—FIRST STORY. 
A, Main Ilall, 12x26%' feet— II, Parlor, 10x22— C, Library, 16x19- I), Hall, 7 ft. 
wide, in which is the main Stairway to second story, A Stairway also leads from 
the hall, under the main stair, to the basement. This is also accessible from the 
kitchen, G. — E. Family Bed-room, 18x17%, which is connected with II, a Dress¬ 
ing-room, 6.10x9% and I, a Bath-room, 6.10x8— F, Dining-room, 15x20—G, Kitch¬ 
en, 13x17%— K, Pantry, 0.10x7%— T, Wash-room, 6.10x9%— L, China Closet, 
6.10x4%—iU, Rear Stairs to Chamber, with Store-room underneath them—.Y,Clos¬ 
et for Crockery -Q, Front Porch, 8x12— R, Rear Porch, 4x15—S,S, Front Piazza, 
8 feet wide— T, Side Piazza, 7 feet wide— U, Side Piazza, if desirable. 
Fig. 2—SECOND STORY, OR CHAMBER PLAN. 
a, Central Hall, same width as lower Hall— b, Bed-room, 19x16%— c, Bed¬ 
room, 19x16%— g, Bed-room, 12x14 — A. Bed-room, 15x17% — i , Nursery, 15x20— j. 
Play-room. 12x12%— l, Attic Stairs, with closet under opening into b — k, Closet 
from h—f. Linen Closet, 4x8% — p, HalL3% feet wide — e, Closet from g — d, Closet 
from c—r, Main Stairs Platform— m, Stairway down to kitchen— n. Steps from 
play-room to nursery — o, Closet from nursery — w, w, w, w, Wing Roofs— 
v, v, v, v, v, Piazza Roofs. 
The bed-room, g, extends, iu part over the front 
porch. The floor of the Play-room, j, is to be 
on a level with the platform of the main stairs. 
This reduces the bight of the kitchen; it is done 
to give a higher play-room, and allow the win¬ 
dows to be above the reach of small children, 
without deforming the outside architecture. 
Steps lead from the play-room to the nursery. 
The Piazza, U, on the 
left, may be added or 
omitted, as shall best 
comport with the gener¬ 
al architecture. Sliding 
doors are to separate the 
main hall, A, from the 
parlor, B, library, C , and 
from the dining-room E. 
Remarks.— There aro 
several good features 
in these floor plans, 
and some objectionable 
ones, which it may be 
easier to point out than 
to indicate a remedy 
for. The sliding-doors 
opening each way from 
the main hall, A, fig. 1, 
are convenient for 
throwing the whole 
suite of rooms together, 
but the heavy sliding- 
doors will be too cum¬ 
brous for constant use, 
especially at the princi¬ 
pal entrance to the din¬ 
ing-room. There is no 
common room where 
the family may sit to¬ 
gether, unless the Libra¬ 
ry, C, is designed for 
this purpose. The only 
bath-room provided, is 
not convenient of access 
to members of the fam¬ 
ily or visitors occupying 
the chambers. This is 
the most difficult room 
to be arranged for gen¬ 
eral use, without placing 
it on the second floor, 
which is objectionable, 
owing to the freezing 
and leakage of water 
pipes. We suggest to the 
competing architects to 
try to remedy the bath¬ 
room arrangement. Per¬ 
haps a stairway start¬ 
ing from the bath-room, 
would help the matter, 
and at the same time 
bring the family bed¬ 
room nearer to the nur¬ 
sery, which would seem 
to be desirable. We are 
decidedly in favor of an 
abundance of closets on 
the first floor of every 
house—they save much 
running up stairs. If 
building a house simi¬ 
lar to this, wc would 
work in at least four 
more closets, one of 
which should be a capa¬ 
cious one opening into 
The dressing-room, TT, 
The provision for a 
the family bed-room, 
may in part supply this, 
high.play-room is a capital one, and should be 
in every house where there are children. 
