VOL. XXIX. No. ‘21.1 
WHOLE Xo. l'J6i). I 
NEW YORK, AND ROCHESTER, N. Y„ MAY 23 , 1874 . 
I* It ICE SIX CENTS. 
»a.3U 1’EIt VEAIl. 
_ ' Entered accordin g to Act Of Congress, in tlie year 1874, by the Rural Publishing Company, in ttoo office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington,] 
|Utral Architecture 
AN AMERICAN COTTAGE. 
If we were to ask you to give us a plan of 
a cottage, to cost from seven to ten thousand 
dollars, could you give it? We want it for a 
permanent home. Our family is small, and 
while we want a neat, home-like place, we 
do not want to expend any money for show 
merely, beyond what is necessary for good 
taste. Can you not help us iu this matter, 
without compelling my husband to employ 
an architect.” 
So writes a lady correspondent of the Ru¬ 
ral New-Yorker. She does not tell us of 
what kind of material it is most convenient 
to build her home; nor what the character 
of the surroundings are; hence we are “all 
afloat.” But we give a design (by Isaac 
Hobbs & Son, which we lind in Hobbs’ 
Architecture ; Philadelphia : J. B. Lippin- 
cott & Co.,) which may meet the wants of 
our oorregjxuident. The cottage is intended 
to be of stone. It is designed so as to be 
adapted particularly as a summer residence, 
a though it will make an admirable and 
comfortable home at any season. The rooms 
are large. The roof may be of shingles or 
slate, and tlie superstructure of nibble ma¬ 
sonry pointed. The estimate for this house 
is $7,000. A, parlor, 16 by 30 feet; B, porch; 
C, main hall, 16 by 16 feet; D sitting room, 
16 by 16 feet; E, dining room, 13 by 16 feet; 
F, kitchen, 16 by 13 feet. The second floor 
contains four fine chambers, as shown in the 
plan; the third floor two attic rooms. 
Of course the arrangement of the rooms 
can be modified to suit taste or necessity. 
The elevation shows a beautiful aud not too 
ornate exterior, and if made of stone or 
brick it will prove a most satisfactory and 
substantial home. 
■--■ 
NOTES FOR BUILDERS. 
Building Hog Pens. — It is the common 
practice here to build hog pens with the roof 
over only a part of the pen, which gives the 
rain and snow a chance to drive and drift in, 
causing the floor to rot, making it slippery 
for the hogs to walk on and a great deal of 
snow is “tracked” into the nest, which 
melts and spoils the beds. In cold weather 
the troughs have to be freed from ice every 
few days. Considering these things, I con¬ 
cluded that a roof over the whole pen was 
essential and economical. I think of build¬ 
ing one 12 feet square, with a partition run¬ 
ning through the center ; also one 4 feet 
from the back side of the building, leaving 
pens 4 by 6 feet each side of the main parti¬ 
tion. This will give a chance to separate 
the hogs if they quarrel or to keep the fat¬ 
tening hogs and store hogs separate. I think 
one could be built warm enough, by ceiling 
it, so that the ti'ough would not bother much 
by freezing in winter. Should have a door 
leading from each apartment into a yard ; 
the trough should have slats nailed across it’ 
about a foot apart, to keep the hogs from 
crowding each other. Now, if any one has 
a better plan of a pen, I should be glad to see 
it.— t. o. 
Linseed Oil iti Painting .—The American 
Builder very truly says:—“In all cases, in 
painting the exterior walls of a building, lin¬ 
seed oil only should be used. No mistaken 
idea of economy should tempt a man to allow 
the use of turpentine and benzine, unless he 
is willing to repaint in a little time. Good 
oil is the cheapest in the end in any case, as 
it preserves the wood and renders it imper¬ 
vious to water, which the substitutes for it 
will not do. Turpentine may be used to ad¬ 
vantage in interior painting, where there are 
Jumd Jptrtnienl 
FROM THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS—SAINT 
GEORGE, UTAH. 
Dear Rural: —It is a long time since we 
penned our last from the tops of these moun¬ 
tains for your readers; and since the sunny 
days of summer are approaching, a “sigh ” 
from among the pines and evergreens may 
AMERICAN COTTAGE — GROUND PLAN. 
to be many coats, but it should never beem- 
ployed on the exterior walls of a building, 
whether they be of wood, stone or brick.” 
Plan of a $1,000 House [Vaulted .— A cor¬ 
respondent of the Rural New-Yorker asks 
for “a plan of as good a house as can be 
built for $1,000 — a little house, tasty and 
neat, uot showy, which will make a happy 
home.” If any of our readers can send us a 
well-drawn plan, and elevation of such a 
house, with a clear and full description there¬ 
of, we will gladly print it. 
Collage with Nine Rooms. —W. W. H. 
asks for a plan of a cottage with about nine 
rooms, to cost about $1,900—“as spacious as 
possible.” Who can send us such a plan ? 
Ash-House Wanted. — A correspondent 
asks for a plan of an ash-house. We have 
given several plans and will republish some 
of them. 
A Round Dairy Barn Wanted.—We have 
u request for a plan of a round or octagon 
barn adapted to keeping 30 dairy cows, 
AMERICAN COTTAGE — SECOND FLOOR. 
be in order. Well, first and foremost, our 
readers may naturally ask, “ Where is St. 
George?” We will answer, just get your 
map, look for Salt Lake City; now if you 
have found that, run your finger along 
southward — Provo, Springville, Spanish 
Fork, Payson, Nephi, Scipio, Fillmore, Corn 
Creek, Beaver, Parswan, Cedar City, Kan- 
ava, Wasliington, and several intermediate 
towns of smaller size are passed, and here 
we are—quickly passed over 350 miles and 
at St. George—over the rim of the Basin. 
We have passed through a great variety of 
climate and have reached a point where the 
waters of the Rio Virgen and Santa Clara 
join and pass off still 100 miles south to the 
turbulent Colorado. 
Hero also we have a climate almost free 
from snow and ice through winter, just 
frost enough to kill the succulent verdure, 
stop the growth of vegetation a short time 
for a little rest, that it may come forth again 
with renewed strength, vigor and beauty. 
Well, here we are then—on the north side of 
- 
" " 
__ _ 
AMERICAN COTTAGE - ELEVATION. 
a valley sloping toward the Virgen, in a cli¬ 
mate “sunny and bright,” where the almond 
tree flourjsheth, the fig tree puts forth its 
leaves, and the tendrils of the vine cling 
to tree and shrub — a once desert, now 
abounding in tnilk and honey, nil, corn and 
wine — where the fragrance of flowers is 
wafted from our terraced gardens, watered 
by the mountain rills, over green, and pro¬ 
ducing fruit in endless variety, most de¬ 
licious, from climes near and remote; mount¬ 
ains before, on either side and behind, glow¬ 
ing red like live coals or shimmering in the 
sunlight, volcanic, black and startling; 
mountains low sloping anil abruptly rising, 
higher, higher, and limiting the view to Al¬ 
pine peaks and pinnacles, black with scorea 
or evergreens, or white, yellow or gray with 
rock or clay, washed for thousands of ceu- 
turios; here and there a desolate crater, a 
lava lied, a mountain pass crushed through 
by the torrent of suppressed waters; a coun¬ 
try most singular and interesting to the min¬ 
eralogist, the geologist, the naturalist, the 
I botanist, anil even the antiquarian, for our 
mountain sides abound in mines of silver, 
copper, lead, iron, coal, plumbago and many 
other valuables ; the hilltops sparkle with 
rare pebbles and precious stones. The strata 
of earth formation are most interesting to 
| the studied scholar; the native new and rare 
plauts chain the interest of weed pickers; 
the curious insect world gives a uow field to 
him who finds in births, bugs, serpents and 
flics subjects of pleasure and : at crest. 
To the florist and pomologist, here is a 
field to develop. Open air culture will give 
finest crops of any variety of grapes that 
grow under the sun, and of a flavor unsur¬ 
passed, making wines of rare quality. Our 
apples, pears, plums’ cherries, apricots, nec- 
tarins anil berries, all free from injury by 
! disease, insects or otherwise, each, all, in 
greatest perfection for our comfort. Having 
a constant flow of water at hand to moisten 
and fertilize our gardens, we are enabled to 
produce flowers, hardy and tender, in infi¬ 
nite variety, of greatest beauty and endless 
profusion. The lilacs and roses are now In 
bloom; the apricot, peach, apple and pear 
out of bloom. Our trees, shrubs and plants 
are clothed in spring's bright verdure, and 
to-day all nature is laughing outright, in her 
gayest attire, to the tra 11-1-1 of the merry 
spring songsters. 
Well, we must cease —stop before we have 
begun. We will try to come again soon, and 
tell you all about the timber, the birds, ani¬ 
mals, insects, our customs, manners and 
modes of life, and how we Mormons do and 
how we get along. Until then, adieu! 
April 25, 1874. j. e. j. 
-- 
FROM NORFOLK COUNTY, VIRGINIA. 
I believe there is no better place for a 
man to find a good and cheap homo than in 
this county. 1 am the Tax Collector in this 
township of Washington, adjoining Norfolk 
City, and I can show any person good farms 
near good water transportation—farms with 
large improvements, not more than three or 
four miles from landings, not ten miles from 
Norfolk. I could direct a man to one farm 
of 150 acres, 100 improved, with a good house 
and soil and good neighborhood, not two 
miles from a steamboat landing, for $2,500; 
another, of 350 acres, for $4,500, two miles 
from water and a plenty of land not far oil 
for very low prices. The truth is the South¬ 
ern people are land poor. Generally they 
| are not able to cultivate one-half of their 
and. I am a farmer. Mathew Hare. “ 
