lOi 
January  19,  19C3. 
JOURNAL  OF  HOIlTL'ULTiFF 
AND  con  A  IK  a  AUDEN  K  a. 
Bothy  Plan. 
Briefly  in  our  last  week’s  issue  we  announced  the  names 
of  the  two  prize-winners  in  connection  with  this  competi¬ 
tion,  the  stipulations  of  which  were  repeatedly  printed 
during  the  autumn  months,  and  need  not  be  again.  The 
plan  by  Mr.  T.  Arnold,  which  we  give  on  the  opposite  page, 
complies  in  every  particular  with  the  rules  laid  down,  and, 
following  this,  we  print  his  estimate  of  cost,  and  his  re¬ 
marks  on  the  plan. 
When  we  first  drew  up  the  rules  it  was  patent  to  us  that 
the  sum  we  fixed  was  very  small,  but  it  was  resolved  to  test 
what  could  be  done  with  such  limited  means,  for  though  the 
gentry  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  do  not  spare  expense 
upon  themselves,  they  most  emphatically,  as  a  rule,  grudge 
money  spent  on  the  habitations  and  creature  comforts  of 
their  patient  gardeners.  And  so  the  sum  of  £300  requires 
considerable  solicitation  on  occasion,  ere  it  is  granted  for 
the  purpose  of  erecting  a  little  bothy  for  the  blue  apron 
boys.  Where  generosity  goes  hand  in  hand  with  the  real 
love  of  flowers,  there  would  be  no  difficulty  about  the  cost, 
and  our  humble  plan-drawings  can  be  accepted  in  their 
main  lines,  and  improved  in  evident  ways. 
Coming  to  the  thirteen  plans  which  reached  us,  there  are 
points  in  favour  of  many  of  them.  One  came  all  the  way 
from  Johannesburg,  from  a  young  Scottish  gardener  who 
has  found  a  comfortable  berth  there,  and  takes  his  Journal 
with  him.'  His  plan  was  three  times  too  large,  so  that  we 
could  not  have  reproduced  it  with  success,  good  though 
many  of  its  features  are.  We  may  state  that  the  sender 
was  a  winner  in  the  garden-plan  competition  last  spring, 
under  the  segis  of  the  Royal  Caledonian  Horticultural 
Society. 
The  plan  from  Mr.  W.  Rowles  is  undoubtedly  the  most' 
carefully  finished  and  the  most  desirable  of  any,  for  it  is  a 
handsome  two-storey  bothy  with  ample  accommodation ; 
but,  alas !  Mr.  Rowles  consumed  his  £300  in  building 
material  alone,  leaving  out  of  his  expenses  bill  the  cost  of 
labour.  This,  of  course,  could  not  be  condoned.  An  essay 
on  “  Plan  Drawing  ”  from  this  author  is  in  our  hands,  and 
when  it  appears  will  be  read  both  with  interest  and  profit. 
Another  plan,  which  was  a  model  of  neatness  and  finish, 
and,  moreover,  beautifully  coloured,  came  from  “  Interested, 
and  a  Friend,”  which  we  could  not  reconcile  with  our  sen¬ 
tence  stating,  “  The  sender  will  alone  be  held  responsible 
for  it.” 
We  may  also  mention  these  from  the  following  as  of 
•merit,  but  lacking  in  one  point  or  more,  namely,  Mr. 
Thomas  Chaunt’s,  Cuei’den  Hall,  Preston,  Lancashire  ;  Mr. 
H.  F.  Smale,  Wortley  Hall,  Sheffield  ;  Mr.  E.  J.  Platt, 
Borden  Wood,  Liphook.  Hants  ;  Mr.  Albert  T.  Richardson, 
Windlestone,  Ferry  Hill,  Durham  ;  and  Mr.  D.  McPhee, 
Crosslett  Gardens,  Dumbarton.  The  plans  from  Mr.  W. 
Davidson,  Ford  Manor,  Lingfield,  and  Mr.  Rabjohn,  Pres¬ 
ton  Hall,  Surrey,  omitted  representations  of  the  elevation. 
In  conclusion  we  maj^  be  allowed  to  expx’ess  our  satisfac¬ 
tion  with  the  results  of  the  competition,  and  certainly  no 
more  useful  work  has  been  executed  in  our  pages.  Those 
who  contributed  to  this  scheme  seem,  from  their  letters, 
to  have  done  so  unanimously  for  the  good  of  the  cause,  and 
the  desire  in  their  hearts  first  and  foremost  being  to  assist 
in  the  reform  of  wretched  bothies  to  dwellings  which,  at  all 
events,  can  be  made  fit  to  live  in,  and  comfortable.  We 
have  the  permission  of  the  donor  of  the  first  prize — Mr. 
Frederick  End,  wholesale  florist,  &:c.,  28  and  30.  Wellington 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London — to  announce  his  name  in 
this  connection. 
I  should  like  to  make  a  few  comments  on  my  plan.  First 
of  all  I  should  have  much  preferred  a  two-storey  building, 
but.  after  repeated  attempts,  I  found  it  quite  impossible  to 
erect  such  a  building  to  be  worthy  of  the  name  of  a  bothy 
for  anything  near  the  figures  you  stipulate,  viz.,  £300.  I 
consequently  had  to  fall  back  on  the  one-storey  plan  ;  but  I 
do  claim  one  essential  for  this  building  of  mine,  and  that  is 
comfort.  I  believe,  after  all;  that  is  the  chief  object.  It  is 
IDOssible  many  w'ould  have  allowed  less  space  for  the  bed¬ 
rooms.  We  have,  however,  to  bear  in  mind  that  these  will 
have  to  do  service  as  wardrobes,  dressing-rooms,  and  often 
as  writing  I’ooms. 
Another  advantage  the  one-storey  plan  has  is  that  it  can 
be  made  to  harmonise  with  the  glass  houses,  which  would 
be  more  difficult  with  a  loftier  structure.  It  would  be  a 
very  simple  matter  to  wedge  the  front  of  the  enclosed  build¬ 
ing  between  a  block  of  plant  and  fruit  houses,  having  the 
fruit  department  on  the  one  side,  the  plants  on  the  other, 
and  I  believe  also  that  this  plan  is  the  one  most  generallj" 
acceptable.  My  experience  is  that  lofty  buildings  are 
objected  to  in  gardens.  Generally  we  find  the  bothy  and 
other  buildings  pushed,  so  to  speak,  at  the  back  of  the 
glass  ranges,  or  behind  belts  of  trees.  [A  very  unhealthy  and 
unsatisfactory  site,  but  almost  invariably  chosen. — Ed.]. 
This  plan,  we  all  hope,  is  past,  for  we  all  wish  to  see  the 
young  men’s  wants  attended  to,  both  physically,  mentally, 
and  morally. 
I  do  not  expect  that  my  estimate  will  be  perfectly 
accurate  in  every  item,  but  let  me  say  that  it  is  a  legitimate 
one,  and  one  gained  by  actual  experience.  I  need  not  say 
more  on  this  point  at  present,  but  shall  be  prepared  at  any 
future  time  to  furnish  advice  on  this  part  of  the  scheme. 
I  have  shown  two  -tin  pipes  in  the  section,  which  may.  or 
may  not,  be  used.  There  woidd.  of  course,  be  two  valves 
for  regidating  or  shutting  off  the  heat.  They  certainly 
would  be  of  great  service  in  making  the  bedrooms  comfort¬ 
able  during  very  severe  weather.  There  are  two  register 
grates  provided  for,  one  in  the  dining  and  the  other  in  the 
library  or  sitting-room.  There  is  also  provision  made  against 
damp  rising  through  the  floors.  There  will  be  a  bed  of 
concrete  Sin  in  thickness,  together  with  ample  ventilation 
under  the  floors  by  gratings  placed  in  the  walls  as  shown. 
The  floors  will  also  be  kept  up  12in  above  the  level  of  the 
surrounding  ground. 
The  bedrooms  are  divided  by  match-boarding,  but  there 
would  be  a  4iin  brick  wall  to  shut  them  off  from  the  pas¬ 
sage.  There  is  also  a  bath  accounted  fox’,  placed  in  a  good- 
sized  lavatox’y,  and  w.c.,  also  axnple  ventilation,  as  each 
window  would  have  a  section  to  opexx. 
The  roof  of  the  vax'ious  rooms  woxxld  be  match-boax’ded, 
each  bedroom  woxxld  contain  something  like  630  cxxbic  feet  of 
aix-,  which,  yoix  will  say,  is  ample  ;  at  least,  less  woxxld  do. 
The  roof  would  be  covex’ed  with  blue  dxichess  slate. 
I  trust  that  the  bath  will  not  be  thought  to  be  supex’- 
fluous.  [Sux-ely  not ;  rather  is  it  indispensable. — Ed.].  There 
is  nothing  so  invigorating  after  a  sweltering  hot  day  in  the 
houses  as  a  bath  in  the  evexiing.  The  match-boarding  pax’- 
titions  in  the  bedrooms,  &c.,  would  be  stained.  The  divi¬ 
sion  wall  (4^in)  in  the  passage  woxxld  not  be  plastered  on 
the  oxxtside,  simply  coloxxx’ed,  and  is  included  in  the  plas¬ 
terer’s  bill.  The  outside  walls  are  to  be  9in  thick,  and 
bxxilt  of  red  brick.  Floors  to  be  laid  with  lin  best  red  deal 
board  ;  the  floor-joists  to  rest  oxi  Sin  of  coxicrete.  The  scale 
used  for  the  plaxx  and  elevatioxis  is  10ft  to  an  inch. 
£ 
s. 
d. 
Itooling.  liinhci',  slates,’ ]4nstcr,  and  workmanship 
70  19 
0 
13  doors  (batten)  . 
13 
0 
0 
Flooring  and  workmanship . 
22 
0 
0 
3  chimney  stacks  . 
4 
0 
0 
12  windows  (2  bows) . 
17 
5 
0 
2  register  grates  and  fixing . 
5 
0 
0 
llaf  h  and  fixing . 
8 
10 
0 
Independent  cooking  stove  and  fixing  . 
2 
18 
0 
Ilriekhiyers’  bill . 
21  10 
0 
14  air  gratings  (fixing  included  in  bricklayers’  acconnt) 
1 
0 
0 
Bricks  . 
53 
0 
0 
Lime  and  concrete 
15 
0 
0 
Flow  and  return  hot-water  piiics,  4in.,  2  valves 
Fixing  of  same . 
\ 
7 
18 
0 
.foists  and  wainscotting  . 
... 
12 
15 
0 
2  door  stejjs  (blue  brick)  . 
0 
18 
0 
Plasters,  including  material  . 
... 
16 
0 
0 
Spoulingand  headings,  fixing,  painting 
\ 
1 
2  17 
2 
Materials  for  same  . 
Painting  and  staining  and  workmanship^ 
15 
10 
0 
... 
W.C.  and  i>an  for  same  (matchboarding'),  and  door 
6 
15 
0 
Total  . 
296 
15 
2 
(Signed)  Thomas  Arnold. 
The  Gardens,  Cirencester  House,  Cirencester,  Gloucestershire. 
