THE CULTIVATOR. 
161 
THE WORKING MAN’S COTTAGE.—(Fig. 90.) 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker —By the editorial remarks appended to those of your 
correspondent D. Tomlinson, on the 66th pag-e of the current volume of the Cultivator, 
On the deficiencies in the design and adaptation of country dwellings,” I have been 
induced to send you a design that I have been sketching: which I propose denomina¬ 
ting the Working Man’s Establishment. The designs of the building are entirely ori¬ 
ginal. Whether they exhibit the deficiences above complained of, in the design and 
adaptation of the buildings to the ground, or the wants of the working man, yourselves 
and readers must be the judges. 
It cannot be claimed for the Cottage that it is the cheapest that can be built: for 
every one knows that a perfect square presents more room with a given amount of 
covering, than any other possible form: yet it is thought to have a fitness for the pur¬ 
poses designed; combining comfort and convenience in its internal arrangements, 
with an expression of purpose to its exterior. 
| - -- - "i The parlor it will be seen 
| wood from fig. 91, has three win¬ 
dows, and is so situated as to 
have a direct view of the 
grounds in three points of the 
compass. Suppose the build¬ 
ings are facing the north. Then 
the entire portion of grounds 
lying north, with those on the 
east and west, as far back as the 
dotted lines marked a, and b, 
mt~~ ■ma aatHH (fig. 92,) could be readily seen. 
pantry § If the windows on the east and 
west sides of this room, are 
made to extend to the floor, so 
as to open out into the veran¬ 
dahs, this would be most de¬ 
lightful. The kitchen is of the 
same size and as delightfully 
situated as the drawing room, 
having the same number of 
lights, and almost as extensive 
a view. The closet may be so 
divided as to accommodate both 
bedrooms; or others might pre¬ 
fer to have the bedrooms uni¬ 
ted, making one room 10 by 14 feet. The entrance hall is 7 by 10 feet, in which are 
the stairs leading to the chambers above. Beneath these stairs, I would place those 
leading to the cellar, having their entrance from the kitchen. The pantry may be so 
divided as to form a store room. In the wash room there should be a well and cis¬ 
tern. In giving dimensions for the rooms, I have made no allowance for the thickness 
of the walls and partitions. 
It may be observed that the dining room, library, and other appendages generally 
found attached to establishments of greater pretension, are here omitted. They are 
purposely so, as being entirely needless. The kitchen is the working man s substi¬ 
tute. It is there, that his wife, of necessity, spends most of her time. That is her 
nursery, that their dining room. 
Should any think the above plan too small and contracted, it can easily be enlarged 
without any material change in the general plan. Let the building from front to rear, 
and from side to side, be 40 feet. This would enlarge the drawing room and kitchen 
to 16 by 18 feet, and side rooms to 8 by 12 feet. By an extension of the back part of 
the building, the wash room may be used for a kitchen, and the former for a dining 
room. . 
In laying out the grounds, (fig. 92,) I have endeavored to follow the teachings of 
nature; imitating her in that which is beautiful or picturesque. The gentle curves 
that are made in the walks d, or carriage way e, should not appear arbitrary, but ne¬ 
cessary, by the planting of trees or shrubs. Those parts of the grounds lying north 
of the walks and carriage way, should be planted with the finest of our hardy forest 
and ornamental trees; while those lying back of this should be devoted to the finest 
of our summer and winter fruits. That there may be unity as well as variety in the 
landscape, the transition from ornamental to fruit trees should be gradual, and not sud¬ 
den ; the one blending with the other. 
No establishment can be said to be complete, that is destitute of a bee house. I 
have therefore introduced it,/, in the above sketch. My object in giving it the above 
location, was, that during the swarming season every hive might be seen from the 
kitchen, a matter of no small consequence. This is done in the line of g. 
The arrangement of the barn, and other out buildings, are thought to be both con¬ 
venient and economical. The bay of the barn is designated by the letter h, the floor 
by the letter i. Beneath this floor should be a cellar for roots, &c. The stabling, k, 
is a leanto built on for that purpose. A building for a wagon house, corn house, &c. 
is marked l. On the south side of this, I would attach a hen house, m, and on the 
west, a hog house n, with a pen so arranged as to receive the litter from the horse sta¬ 
ble. The yard 0 , should be so tight as to keep hens when desired. 
The letter P, designates the kitchen garden. 
I have made no estimate of the probable cost of such a building as the Cottage. The 
cost will materially differ in different sections of the country; varying according to 
the price of materials—the materials chosen, whether of wood, brick, or stone—and 
the style in which it is constructed and finished. This information can be best got by 
consulting an experienced architect and builder. The cottage would appear best built 
of stone, one story, and in the rural gothic style. That the chambers may not be too 
Plan of Grounds, fyc. — (Fig. 92.) 
warm during midsummer, they should be constructed with a vacuity between them and 
the roof, of several inches, and ventilated at the top. 
Berlin , Conn., July 20, 1842. •^ 0E ’ i ^ r * 
ST. MOOR FARM, &c. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker —The introduction, by “Subscriber,” through the 
medium of your periodical, to the agriculturists of the United States, of my farm, my 
manager, and myself, renders it incumbent upon me to make a brief commentary. 
The property alluded to, is less than a tithe of that bequeathed by my father, the 
late Col. John Ambler, of the city of Richmond, Va. to his children. During the ear¬ 
ly period of his life, he resided at Jamestown, and on giving that well known estate to 
my eldest brother, removed to Richmond, where he continued the residue of his life. 
He was therefore an absentee proprietor, and in no way responsible for the condition 
of the farm when it came into my possession. 
Your correspondent in referring to the improvement of the stock on my farm, omits 
all mention of the horse. My success as a breeder of the blood horse, has been 
so decided, that I may venture to say by brood mare “ Countess Plater ,” has done as 
much to identify my name with the turf recollections of the “country,” as has the ex¬ 
traordinary skill of Mr. Satterwhite, in the management of the farm, to connect it with 
the agricultural history of the “county.” 
' I bear willing testimony to the justice of the encomium passed upon Mr. Satter¬ 
white, by your correspondent. He has set an example worthy of all imitation, be¬ 
cause he introduced a system, which from the commencement, made the farm produce 
not only the wherewithal to purchase the materials essential to increase its fertility, 
but also very considerable “ nett profits.” A most satisfactory demonstration, how 
groundless is the prevailing notion of the farmers around him, that they cannot afford 
to improve. It is well worthy of remark, that Mr. Satterwhite has effected all his im¬ 
provements, without abandoning the tobacco crop; a conclusive answer to those who 
object to farming, because the wheat crop is subject to so many disasters that they 
cannot rely upon it, and too easily persuade themselves that if one hopes to improve, 
one must cease to cultivate tobacco. 
Mr. Satterwhite has made one very valuable addition to the beauty, fertility, and 
convenience of the farm, which deserves especial notice. All our farm houses are 
situated upon a high, dry ridge, which rendered the labor of conveying to them the 
necessary quantity of water, incalculable. His active mind originated a plan, which 
a few hours labor carried into successful operation. My land runs along the base of 
the Tobacco Row mountains, which abound in springs. He selected a bold, a beauti¬ 
ful and never failing stream, which issued from one of these fountains, and with no 
other instruments than a level and a three horse plow, he conducted it by Farm Pen 
barn, Manager’s house, garden and stables, to the manifest advantage of the land on 
either side, and the unspeakable wonder of his neighbors. By the use of pipes, this 
water could be conveyed to the third story of my own mansion—pipes would be ne¬ 
cessary, because a valley intervenes between Mr. Satterwhite’s house and my own. 
This stream would also enable me to have a beautiful cascade between the two houses, 
and a pretty “jet d’eau ” in my front yard. 
The brick dwelling house referred to by your correspondent, was erected, not as a 
residence, but to perpetuate the memory, of the perfect success which crowned the first 
sustained effort, to improve the agriculture of this immediate vicinity, and I consider 
it a very appropriate and quite a handsome monument of the prosperity of the farm. 
Should either the notice of “ Subscriber,” or the present communication, create 
sufficient interest to make further information desirable, in relation to the system 
adopted on my farm, or the future results—I will undertake during some one of the 
frequent visits which my deep and abiding desire to advance the cause of agriculture, 
will lead me to pay St. Moor, to furnish such particulars as may be asked for. 
Respectfully, Philip St. Geo. Ambler. 
St. Moor, Amherst Co. Va., Aug. 13, 1842. 
CHEMICAL MANURES AGAIN. 
I have been prevented, Messrs. Editors, by a combination of circumstances not ne¬ 
cessary to detail, from earlier noticing some strictures of your talented correspondent, 
Wm. Partridge. 
In the April No., current volume of the Cultivator, p. 61, you published a commu¬ 
nication of mine upon Chemical Manures, in which I referred to some statements made 
by Mr. Partridge, at p. 181, of the 8th vol. of your paper, under the belief that he had 
penned that article without due reflection. 
In noticing my strictures however, at p. 97, of the present vol. of your paper, he re¬ 
affirms what he had previously written in regard to the use of quick lime in the manu¬ 
facture of Sul. of Ammonia from putrid urine. 
Hear him:—“If caustic lime be a necessary ingredient in making vegetative pow¬ 
der, its use can only be necessary to liberate pure volatile ammonia from the salts 
with which it is combined when in the state of urine.” “Plaster of Paris is a sul. of 
lime, having little affinity for carbonates or sub-carbonates of ammonia; but when 
caustic ammonia is presented to it, a portion of the sul. acid of the sul. of lime will 
combine with the ammonia and leave the lime, forming a sul. of ammonia and a sub¬ 
carbonate of lime.” “Hence the use of lime in the composition of vegetative pow¬ 
der.” “ It is a well known law in chemical action, that when a combination of an acid 
and an alkali has to be decomposed by another alkali, having a greater affinity for the 
