Page:An Encyclopædia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture.djvu/424

 4<00 COTTAGE, FARM, AND VILLA ARCHITECTURE. (wo feet one above another. In front therc may be either a grated iron door, or several horizontal iron bars, to lock, so ,-is to permit the free ingress and egress of the bees to and from their hives, and yet jirevent any person from taking them out. 793. Dogkennel. A watchdog is common to most farmeries, and the shepherd's dog is a valuable assistant where flocks of sheep are kept. The projjcr position for the watchdog is the middle of the open area between the farm house and the farm-yard, in order that the dog may have a complete view of the yard, and be seen l)oth from tlic yard and house, as well as by all strangers who approach either. The lodging-jilace for the dog is commonly a roofed wooden box with an opening only on one side, the consequence of which is, that he may be passed by persons on the other sides without his seeing them. We would suggest the idea of raising the dogkcnnel eighteen inches or two feet, by placing it on a knoll sloping on every side, and of having two or three panes of glass on each side, that he may see every way around him. To cnal)lc the dog to lie in his kennel with comfort during hot weather, we would form two openings the whole length of the sides of the kennel, close under the eaves of the roof, by means of hinged flaps, which could be let down during summer, and put up and fastened with wooden buttons in severe weather. Kennels for dogs kept for field sports belong to the subject of villas. 794. A Lodge for single Men sometimes forms a part of farmeries, and should always consist of one large well lighted, and comfortable room for cooking and eating ; and another, also large, dry, and well ventilated, for sleeping in. These rooms ought to be placed near to the stables and cattle-sheds ; and perhaps it might not be amiss, in some cases, to have speaking pipes from the stables and cattle-houses to the men's bed-room, in order that they might the more readily hear any noise made there in the night-time. Near London, where farms are liable to be robbed, we have known the farmer have a speaking or hearing pipe, communicating from his bed-room to his dogkennel, and also a wire connected with his dog's collar, by means of which he could loose the animal, without moving from his bed. Mr. Ackermann, the celebrated printseller, has a contrivance somewhat similar, in his villa near Fulham. 795. Cottages and Gardens for married Servants are built in the ncigbourhood of (he farmery, in all the large farms in the north of England and in the south of Scotland. Sometimes they form part of the farmery, but in general they are 200 or 300 yards apart from it. The convenience of proximity is, however, so great, that we think the distance should be diminished rather than increased. These cottages, in Scotland more particularly, are very wretched habitations, even on the most extensive and best cultivated farms. In 1831, we examined some farm labourers' houses of this description on a very large and admirably cultivated farm, on the Duke of Buccleugh's estate in Dumfi-iesshire. The dwelling-house on this farm (Cumroo) is more than usually large, with two rooms in its width ; a part of its exterior wall is covered with well trained and wide-spreading fruit trees ; and there is an excellent kitchen-garden, well stocked, and apparently in good order, in which, when we saw it, a professed gardener (judging from his blue apron) was at work ; so that the whole, had it not been for the farm-yard behind, miglit very easily have been taken for a mansion residence. Passing this house, and advancing about half a furlong, we came to a row of fourteen cottages, occupied by yearly servants of the farmer who resided at the large house, and who, we were told, came from the best-cultivated district in Scotland, East Lothian. Observing that to every door in (his row of cottages there was but one window, we entered one of (hem, and foimd a woman sitting at a table, writing a letter (which seemed in a very good hand for a person in lier rank in life), while she rocked the cradle with her foot. The room, -o'liich conijirised the wliole cottage, was about fourteen feet square, without a ceiling, and open to the roof; the floor was of earth, and the walls were left rough, just as the stones were put together in building, but whitewashed : there was a fireplace, but only one fixed window of fom- small panes. In this room there were two box-beds, placed end to end, and, behind, a space of about two feet in width for fuel and lumber. The furniture and utensils, though scanty, were clean and neat ; more especially when contrasted with the floor, which, underneath the box-beds, which have no valances, was of earth, quite loose, though near the fire were laid some flat stones, which the woman said her husband had picked up and put down himself. The cottage window, as already observed, was fixed, and incapable of opening to give air. There was no back door, and no opening either in the rotif or walls for ventilation, except the entrance door and the chimney. There was no appendage, nor garden ground of any sort, behind these cottages ; but across the road, in front of them was a narrow strip of ground, divided so as to allow one fall (thirty-six yards square) to each cottage. In these gardens was no structure of any kind. ( Gard. Mag. vol. viii. p. 265. ) There are few of the houses of married farm- servants in Scotland any better than those at Cumroo, where they are built by the tenants ; but we hope that the time may not be far distant, when the landlords will