1849 . 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
57 
covered with a ribbon or strip—(as in Design Y. of 
Downing’s Cottage Residences, 1842.) The roof to be 
made with a double pitch—the eaves to project well 
from the line of the wall, and to be supported and or¬ 
namented by brackets. The chimney to be finished 
with ornamental shafts, and the usual cheap but taste¬ 
ful devices to be employed in giving a tasteful and pic¬ 
turesque appearance to the building, such as cutting 
the lower edges of the shingles in semi-hexagons, sur¬ 
mounting the dormer windows with acorns or fleur-de- 
lis—placing a balcony over the entrance door, and bal- 
lustrades on the roof of the wings ; as suggested by the 
print of the elevation. 
I have not made a proper estimate of the expense; 
but by referring to Downing's Cottage Residences, De¬ 
sign IV., I find that the amount of material and work 
is about equal in that case, to the above building. Al¬ 
lowing for a little extra work as to style and finish, say 
$2,200, and if built of brick, with more elaborate orna¬ 
ment, say $2,500. R. V. De Witt. Albany , 1849. 
Poor Man’s Cottage. 
Eds. Cultivator —This house is to be 27-f-34 feet, 
one story and a-half high, or high enough to admit of 
those little att*c windows, coming within three feet of 
the floor. The 
rear can be as 
large as is 
deemed neces¬ 
sary. A room 
is taken from 
the woodhouse, 
which will be 
nice to set milk 
in, in summer, 
and very conve¬ 
nient to keep 
fresh meat in 
the winter, and 
many other pro¬ 
visions which 
cannot be well 
kept in a warm 
pantry. I 
should, of all 
things, like a 
pantry thus sit¬ 
uated. 
Adjoining this 
is a place to 
wash, and make 
cheese in, du¬ 
ring the sum¬ 
mer, andto keep 
tubs, pails, bas- 
Do 
P'>M P 
24 —FIRST FLOOR. 
kets, mops and brooms—then the sink-room to wash 
dishes in, handy to the stove. There can be an open¬ 
ing between the 
sink room and pan¬ 
try,to put the dish¬ 
es through, which 
will be a great 
convenience. A 
stone should be 
placed under the 
cook-stove in the 
same manner that, 
hearth stones are 
laid, level with 
the floor. 
If the veranda 
should be only in 25— second floor. 
front, It would give the house a lenghty unpleasant ap¬ 
pearance ; by placing it around the side, it will improve 
the looks very much, and ought to be there to cover 
the door, opening into the kitchen—also to make it 
more pleasant in summer. After all, the shape of a 
house, depends much on the site, whether it be on an 
eminence, a side-hill, or on low level land—much also, 
is depending on the purse, whether it be deep or shal¬ 
low. A Farmer’s Wife. N. Y. 
0t)ce:p jSjttsbctnbnj. 
How do flocks of Sheep Run Out ? 
Editors Cultivator —The opinion is quite preva¬ 
lent among farmers, that flocks of sheep, that are seve¬ 
ral years confined to one locality, deteriorate, or as fre¬ 
quently expressed, “ run out.” 
That flocks do sometimes deteriorate when confined 
to one locality, I do not doubt; but when such an event 
actually occurs, I apprehend it would be quite as judi¬ 
cious, and would quite as effectually restore the health 
and vigor of the flock, to dispose of the proprietor and 
retain the sheep , as vice versa. That this running out 
is owing to bad management, and not to any other lo¬ 
cal cause, I have no doubt, and it may be mainly inclu¬ 
ded under two heads: First, in breeding; secondly, in 
feeding. 
The system of close, or “in and in ” breeding, be¬ 
yond a given point, and that point not very remote 
from the starting point, I believe to be very injurious to 
constitutional vigor. But as the question has been 
discussed in your columns, I will not now enter into the 
argument. 
Constitutional vigor in sheep, as well as in other 
animals, I regard as being of paramount importance; 
without it, light fleeces, deformity and disease, are con¬ 
stant attendants. 
The form of a sheep should be as much the object of 
care and solicitude as the form of a horse; while the 
former with many is scarcely noticed, with the latter it 
is almost the only criterion of value. Who would un¬ 
dertake to say that a long-legged, thin-sliouldered, nar¬ 
row-chested, slab-sided, loose-jointed horse is possessed 
either of constitutional vigor or hardihood ? Indeed, 
such an animal would be considered by every one as 
comparatively, if not utterly valueless ; while thousands 
retain sheep equally faulty, from which to propagate, 
and at the same time, the well-shaped, the vigorous and 
hardy, which from these circumstances have a tenden¬ 
cy to fatten, are sacrificed to the drover and the but¬ 
cher’s knife. Great care should therefore be taken not 
only in selecting bucks but breeding ewes. We should 
look at the whole sheep—should have an image of per¬ 
fection in our minds, and make every selection with a 
view to attain that object. It is not texture of fleece 
or weight of fleece, or symmetry of form, separately 
considered, but the combination of the greatest number 
of desirable points and qualities. 
The question arises in this connexion, how shall we 
dispose of the refuse of the flock ? I answer, a sepa¬ 
ration should be made soon after shearing ; the choice 
lambs and breeding ewes, intended for preservation, 
should be put into good pastures; no buyer or butcher 
should be allowed to look “ over ” into their enclosure. 
The refuse, or those devoted to destruction , should be 
placed, if possible, in better pasture, and should be fed 
for a month or two in the fall, with corn or meal, or 
with turneps, until fit for slaughtering. 
As sheep increase in numbers, on a given number of 
acres, other things being equal , the amount of food per 
head, of course diminishes. What would fully feed fif¬ 
ty, might barely subsist seventy. Now let us look at 
the comparative profits. Good keep and poor keep 
will make at least one pound difference in weight of 
