Page:An Encyclopædia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture.djvu/31

 COTTAGE, FARM, AND VILLA ARCHITECTURE. 7 of Designs for buildings, are beyond the power of the Architect, whatever part of the effect of the picture depends on them, cannot be realized in the execution. In every landscape composed of a house surrounded by verdant scenery, the beauty or deformity of the house may easily be heightened or obscured, at the pleasure of the artist, by the management of the other parts of the picture; but where a building is exhibited in perspective by itself, its beauties or deformities are more easily detected; and the latter can be corrected before proceeding to carry the Design into execution. If, indeed, the introduction of verdant scenery in the picture, would serve as a guide for planting and arranging the ground about the house, then, indeed, it would not only be allowable, but advantageous; but every landscape gardener knows that instruction in this department can only be conveyed graphicjdly, by plans and sections of the surrounding grounds, showing the disposition of the trees and shrubs to be planted, and enumerating their kinds. 6. The Details of Construction, or Specifications, as they are. technically called, which ac- company some of these Designs, are for the purpose of assisting the young Architect in making out similar Specifications for all the rest; and also for instructing the employers of Architects and builders, as to the sort of details which ought to be entered into and settled, before any building, however small, is undertaken to be executed. Engravings on wood, of the details on a large scale, are given with each Design, for the like purpose of facilitating execution. 7. The Estimates, with the exception of those cases, in which detailed Specifications are made out, can only be considered as approximations; but as, in every case, the data are given from which the estimate has been made, an experienced builder, who knows the difference between the price of labour and materials in his own locality and that of London, will always be able to calculate from these data, so as to form an estimate sufficiently accurate for general guidance. Every builder, or even carpenter, when he has laid before him a plan, a perspective or isometrical elevation, and a section, such as we shall give, can make out a specification of the details of construction, on which he can form an estimate suitable for contract and actual execution. 8. In the Analytical and Critical Remarks on each Design, we nave illustrated all the different kinds of construction, and all the principles of architectural composition. In doing this, we have preferred, as the most useful mode, and as the one least likely to restrain the freedom and extent of our remarks, to give such details, and offer such criticisms, as naturally arose out of the subjects as they came successively under review, without much regard to the order of their succession. 9. In illustrating the Principles of Landscape Gardening, as connected with Buildings, we liave, in like manner, limited ourselves to the development of one principle at a time; showing, in some cases, how the ground ought to be disposed in the neighbourhood of a building; in others, how it ought to be approached by roads or walks; sometimes, how fences ought to be disposed; and, in various cases, not only how the trees or shrubs ought to be arranged, but the particular situations for different sorts, with the different heights to which they grow, the soils they require, their suitableness for particular climates, and their character as ornamental, useful, or fruit-bearing plants. 10. Plans of small Gardens have been given along with several of the humbler Designs; and, in describing these, we have not only siiown how they may be planted, with fruit and ornamental trees and shrubs, to most advantage; but, in some cases, we have given courses of cropping, labouring, and manuring. But as this subject is likely to be much more generally understood than Landscape Gardening, as connected with Architecture, we have taken care to restrain our remarks, so as to keep them within due limits. 11. In our Designs for Farm Buildings, we have always taken care to state the extent of the Farm, and the kind of culture, for which they are adapted; taking chiefly, as precedents, the climate and farming of the best districts of Great Britain; but partly, also, the circum- stances of France, Holland, Belgium, and Germany. The same countries have been kept in view, in arranging our Designs for Country Inns and Public Houses, and for the Workshops of Country Tradesmen and Mechanics. 12. The Order in which we have arranged these Designs, is as follows : — Book I.— Designs of Cottages for Labourers, Mechanics, Country Tradesmen, and Small Farmers; of Lodges for Gardeners, Bailiffs, Land Stewards, and other Superin- tendanis on Landed Estates. Book II. — Designs for Farm Houses and Farmeries; Country Inns, with Farm Buildings attached; Fermes Ornees, and Villa Farms. Book III.— Designs for Cottage Villas, and Villas of the highest class, with their accom- panying Offices, and other Buildings.