The whole building is designed to be protected from lightning by a half-inch copper rod, 48 feet in length, erected at the gable end near the back parlor window, and secured in its place by means of wooden props, extending from the roofs.

Ground Floor.

II, denotes the front lobby, or hall, 7 feet wide, including the front stairs.

P, a double parlor, 14 by 28 feet, with folding doors, communicating with the front lobby, or hall. Either, or both of these parlors might be used as sleeping apartments, should circumstances require. L, a room, communicating with the front lobby, or hall, 11 by 12 feet, with a closet 4 feet square, and may be used for a library, office, living room, or nursery, according to the taste or wants of the occupant.

B, a bed room designed for the head of the family, 11 by 12 feet, with a closet 4 feet square, and communicating with the library and dining room.

D, the dining room, 14 by 20 feet, communicating with the front lobby, H; the back entry, E, and the cellar at S,

K, the kitchen, 12 by 20 feet, communicating with the dining room by the back entry E, and a sliding window in the pantry C; with the wood cellar at d; and the back yard, by the steps S.

E, the back entry, 4 by 4 feet, communicating with the verandah, kitchen, dining room, and the back-garret stairs.

V, the vault, 5 by 6 feet, communicating with the verandah, by a passage under cover, 3 feet wide.

C, C, C, closet, or pantries.

S, S, S, S, stair ways, or steps.

c, kitchen and dining-room chimney.

d, trap door, covered the wood-cellar stairs.

7, the lightning conductor.

Attic Floor.

A, A, denote two front bed rooms, 12 by 14 feet, entered independently of one another, from a lobby, 6 feet wide.

B, B, two back bed rooms, 10 by 14 feet, entered, also, independently of each other from the lobby at the head of the front stairs.

G, a back garret, communicating with the front part of the attic by a door at the steps S, and serves as a passage way to the kitchen and verandah, by the back stairs.

S, S, S, denote stair ways, or steps.

c, the chimney of the dining room and kitchen.

f, the stove funnel, communicating with the rooms below.

Between the wall plates and the bed rooms, spaces are left 3 or 4 feet wide, which may be found convenient for storage, &c.,

The reader will bear in mind that the dimensions of a house, built on the foregoing plan, may vary in size, or may be constructed of bricks or stone, as may best suit the taste, ability, and wants of the occupant; but the position, in regard to the sun, and the general arrangement, may be the same. A dwelling of this kind, let it be remembered, is not designed for a city, or village, where the buildings are prescribed in their limits, the architectural style of which, in order to break the monotony often observable in our larger towns, should be displayed in single and double cottages, neat and appropriate out-buildings, factories, churches, and other public structures.

For the guidance of those who have not given much thought to the subject, the following brief, though incomplete maxims on the construction of farm cottages, are offered, with a view of showing how far this important branch of rural economy has been neglected, or abused, in this country, and of calling out taste and talent for future improvement, or correction:

1. It is recommended, that the diagonal line of the ground plan of a farm house be always in the direction of north and south, so that each of the four sides of the building may have, in the course of the day, the benefit of sunshine and shade.

2. It is preferable, that the gable end should present itself towards a public road, rather than the sides; but the position with regard to the sun should not be sacrificed for this. A detached cottage, thus located, may be advantageously seen at a considerable distance, perhaps, from every direction, offering a more pleasing appearance to the traveller as he passes along.

3. A cottage raised on a platform, or terrace, is more cheerful looking than one, the floor of which, is on, or below, the level of the highway.

4. The grounds surrounding a farm house may be ornamented in various ways by means of trees, flowers, and shrubs, giving a beau

tiful effect to the landscape, and contributing, also, to the health and comfort of live stock. For instance, a sheep walk, or pasture, situated side of a farmery, may be so planted with scattered groups of oaks, maples, locusts or elms, and clumps of cedars, hemlocks, and pines, as to present all the beauties of the lawn, and, at the same time afford protection to the animals by shelter and shade. By intermingling fruit trees, flowers, and comely shrubs about the garden and hedge rows, with a beautiful fountain of living water in the vicinity of the buildings, will add greatly to the ornament, luxury, and comfort of every farm.

5. If fancy buildings are to be erected on a farm, different kinds of style may be employed; but in no single building should two or more styles appear. Thus, a Gothic cottage should be purely Gothic throughout; for, a structure of this sort would look exceedingly awkward under a fair-projecting Italian roof. In like manner, a Swiss cottage presenting to view Grecian lines and forms, in any way, would be quite as much out of place. As a general rule, however, the appendages, or out-buildings, to a farm-house, should partake of the same architectural character as that of itself; but cases may occur wherein it would be advisable to depart from this rule.

6. A landscape gardener, possessing a rational and discerning taste in making a design, will adopt such a style as will best produce a scenic effect. For instance, in a situation, backed by a rugged precipice, with straggling hemlocks, or other evergreens near by, approached, perhaps, by a rustic wooden bridge, thrown across a deep ravine, with no other dwellings in sight, a cottage built in imitation of a Swiss hermitage, would form a pleasing variety in the train of ideas that might run through the observer's mind. Again, in a location on a river bank, or hill side, with a dark back ground, and viewed at some distance from before, a structure in the form of a Grecian villa, would produce a desirable effect.

7. Costly and fantastic ornaments are considered quite out o taste in embellishing a farm cottage. A picturesque neatness and simplicity should be aimed at, rather than whimsical and childlike designs. It is not in good taste to place on buildings of this class, turrets and battlements, in imitation of pointed Gothic and old Scottish baronial edifices; nor to adorn them with painted windows, nor sacred and profane subjects, which can only be associated with the dark ages of ignorance, sorrow, and oppression. Neither is it in