good plants of Clèthra arbòrea and Datùra arborea in the conservatory, nearly 16 ft. high; also Ficus elástica and prostrata, Mýrtus pimentoides, &c. Mr. Wiggins seems very successful in his management of Elichrysum; having a number of fine plants, he seldom fails in striking every cutting put in. His method is simply this: - Having selected the young shoots, which he slips off the stem or branch of the mother plant, he inserts them into a pot which has been previously filled to the brim with a mixture of sand and good heath mould, in the proportion of two thirds of sand to one third of heath mould, at the same time putting plenty of drainage into them. He then places the pot in the front of any of his houses where a moderate heat is kept up, watering rather sparingly. The knife is not used, nor are they covered with a glass. This method is applicable to many plants that are tenacious of damp. WILLIAM SAUNDERS.

ART. IV. Historical Account of a Method of making Bass for binding Plants, &c. By M. P. LINDEGAARD. Translated from the Danish by M. JENS P. PETERSEN, of the Royal Gardens at Rosenburgh, Copenhagen.

ACCIDENTS Sometimes will occur during the lives of men, which are often the causes of the discovery of many useful, and even important inventions. Some years ago I cut the branches of several lime trees (Tilia europæ`a) growing along the margin of a narrow piece of water, into which parts of these branches fell. Shortly afterwards the frost happened to set in, and the branches remained in the water below the ice till the spring following, when the ditch or piece of water was cleaned, and the branches taken up and thrown on a heap along with some other faggots or spray. Some time after this, when the weather had become milder, I passed by this heap, and observed the bass to separate easily from the alburnum; and as I could draw it off in long strips, and found it very strong, I concluded it would answer the same purpose as bass of Russian mats, and be tougher when properly prepared. This happened during the time of war, when trade and navigation languished, and consequently bass, as well as every thing else, was at a high price. I took advantage of this opportunity; and whenever I had cut the lateral branches of lime trees, all the smooth branches were collected, and, in the beginning of the ensuing April, put into a ditch or piece of water, and something weighty put over them to keep them below the sur

face of the water. Towards Midsummer the branches were taken up, when the bark loosened perfectly from the alburnum, and was immediately pulled off and washed in clean water, to make the glutinous matter separate from the bass. Afterwards it was hung up and dried.

To gardeners resident in the country where the lime tree abounds, and at a great distance from large towns, this method of making bass will be found of great importance.

Branches of even an inch in diameter are useful for this purpose, but, of course, large branches and stems afford more layers of bass.

ART. V. Description of a Cottage in England, and a Mud Cabin in Ireland. By Mr. JOHN HOWDEN, heretofore AGRONOME.

Sir,

YOUR very tempting offer of an Encyclopædia for an essay on the cottage system, induces me to attempt an article on that subject; and, though I have a most excellent library, worth some scores of pounds, I prize no volumes so much as yours: yet I greatly fear that I can write very little worthy of a stereotype edition on any subject. Providence seems to have designed that I should never be an author: you have seen some of my attempts; but none are fit to be read twice over, much less to be translated into different languages, and every good work ought to bear that test.

I do not pretend to agree with you on every subject, yet I never read the productions of an author or editor with whom I coincided in so many things. I do not agree with you in the cottage system to its full extent. I am a cottager myself, at least I live in a cottage or lodge, and such a cottage as seldom falls to the lot of a poor man: it is not, as Oliver Goldsmith describes,

"A chair-lumber'd closet just twelve feet by nine;"

but thirty feet by twenty-one, exclusive of kitchen and washhouse, fifteen feet by fifteen feet. My house and parlour are entered by two distinct doors from a porch in front, and each has a distinct backdoor; so that, if bumbailiffs or other intrusive visitors should come upon me, I have always a backdoor to I have a small cellar under each staircase: the creep out at. one under the parlour is calculated to hold two hogsheads of ale and two barrels of beer, with shelves and recesses for a few bottles of cowslip, currant, and other wines, for a friend or so; that under the house is chiefly used as a pantry, and VOL. VI.- No. 29.

UU

for a cart-load of potatoes. From the floor to the ceiling of the house and parlour is a height of 8 ft. 6 in., and that of the chamber 7 ft.: the whole is built of freestone ashlar, with a pavilion-slated roof. I have been thus particular in describing my own cottage; for, as the saying is, what is nearest the heart is nearest the mouth, and, of course, nearest the pen. I am particularly fond of my cottage, because I think it the most beautiful and accommodating in the whole world. Nor are its inside ornaments less attractive. I have a Venus, five Dianas, and an Adonis, which excel any paintings that ever I saw. We have neither dog nor cat, cow nor pig, nor so much as a canary bird, to take up our attention for a moment. If such a cottage as this, such a home as this, is not worth fighting for, where must patriots come from? Now, I do not think that any poor man could, should, would, or ought to build such a cottage: but if gentlemen and noblemen would build such cottages for their servants, think of the comfort there would be in living in one of them; think what such a servant would do for such a master, or rather think what he would not do for such.

I shall now contrast my cottage with the thousands of cottages which I have seen in Ireland, in twelve different counties; and, first, to begin with the lowest. The first thing that an Irish peasant thinks of, when he comes to the age of puberty, is to get married. He is encouraged in this by his priest; partly to prevent the deadly sin of fornication, and partly because there is always a collection of money made by the friends of the parties, like the penny-weddings in Scotland: but, instead of giving the collection to the young couple, as in Scotland, it is, every farthing, given to the priest. I myself have given as much as a pound-note at a time, rather than appear shabby or singular. Well, Sir, you always see that, when birds begin to couple, they begin to think of building a nest; and so do the Irish peasantry. The young man begins to build his house on a piece of waste land, by the road-side. His first process is to work up a quantity of clay, as if he meant to make a quantity of bricks; he then lays the foundation of his cabin with this soft clay, about 9 ft. by 15ft. long, about 1 ft. high, leaving a door-place near the centre, which is to serve as door, window, and chimney. As the clay gets dry and stiff, he adds another layer, just as the swallows do, till it is about 6 ft. high; he then begs, buys, or steals rails or poles, and lays them across it; he collects brushwood to raise the roof, and then covers the whole with turves or straw, or both, as he can get them. He then begs or steals straw sufficient to make a bed of; for, though he might beg chaff from his master, or his master's neighbour, he has got

no bedtick to put it in, and the straw is more easily kept within bounds: he has no bedstead, but a few turves or raised earth to keep the bed distinct from the rest of the floor.

His young wife is all this while living with her own parents or with his; but now, being "as ladies wish to be who love their lords," she is busy spinning blankets and coverlets; and she now goes home to her own new mansion to lie in. Her household furniture consists of a spinning-wheel, a stool or bench to sit on, a pot for boiling the potatoes, and a sort of table to eat them off. Of other furniture there is none that I remember, except a besom for washing the potatoes with. As soon as the potatoes are boiled they are carried to the door, the water is poured off from them, and they are then brought in and emptied upon the table. The pot is set down to receive the peelings as the potatoes are eaten; a neighbour who keeps a pig sends round and collects them, paying for them with whatever he abounds in: if a publican, the common price of potato-peelings is a pint of ale with a penny roll, every Saturday evening, for each potato-eater; if a farmer, the reward is generally a piece of ground to plant potatoes on.

In the course of time, if the man be industrious and healthy, he will muster up a pig of his own, to eat his own potato-skins, to graze in the lanes, and sleep with the children. By and by he begins to look up in the world, gets a nanny-goat, or may-be two tied together with a hayband; they graze in the lanes, and really give a great deal of milk. He rents a small corner of some field for a potato-garden, and formerly gave his vote for members of parliament. His children grow up to be men and women, come over to England, and make their fortune either by serving the bricklayers or enlisting for soldiers; in either of which capacities they are made men of, as the life of a private soldier is a king's life compared with their former state.

I dare say, Sir, you have observed the features of an Irish peasant of the lowest grade; the curl of his lips, and how he shows his teeth, something like the passion of fear, pain, or disgust, just as if he were walking in snow, or on sharp flints or thorns, with his naked feet; for how can he afford himself proper clothing on 4d. or 6d. per day? I had, when gardener to Lord Doneraile, where your correspondent Mr. Haycroft now is, I had, I say, ten men, four women, and four boys, all of whom I paid, on a Saturday night, with a two-pound note. I dare say their wages are not much altered yet. I am, Sir, &c.

Heath House, near Cheadle, May 10. 1830.

JOHN HOWDEN.

ART. VI. Four Designs for Labourers' Cottages. By Mr. RICHARD VARDEN, Architectural Pupil with John Perry, Esq., Architect, Godalming.

Sir,

THE invitation you give to artists, in Vol. I. p. 354., to furnish you with designs of various kinds, has induced me to trouble you with a few sketches of cottages; although, as they are nearly the first attempt of a very young hand, I fear they may not be such as to be of any service to you. Should one among them be found worthy of a place in a Number of your Magazine, I should feel myself very highly honoured; and, if not, I trust you will excuse the liberty I have taken in laying them before you. Subjoining a few words in explanation of the sketches,

• Godalming, Jan. 2. 1830.

I remain, Sir, &c.

RICHARD VARDEN.

No. 1. (fig.119.), a cottage of the smallest description, containing a porch (a), tool-house (b), pantry (c), living-room (d), and bed-room (e), with a garret over the two latter apartments. The walls of this cottage should be built in 14-in.