Inexpensive Rural Cottages and Buildings for Small Holdings. By Samuel
Taylor. (149 Strand. 12s. 6d.)—Readers who are owners of land, have the care of estates, or are otherwise interested in the provision of cottages and small holdings will probably find this unpretentious but sound book well worth looking at. It is practical throughout all its eighty pages of text and eighteen of plans. To the plans are added what are not usually found in architects' cottage books—bills of quantities. We note that the total cost of two well-planned pairs of cottages, each provided with three bedrooms, a living-room, and a scullery (of sixty feet super), is £285 and £286, exclusive of closets. With the addition of sanitary accommodation Mr. Taylor cannot make the expenditure come to more than £307 and £308. To return four per cent. on the outlay, rents of £6 3s. 2d. and £6 3s. 7d. should be charged. Allow one per cent. for outgoings, and we have three per cent., which would be a return, he says, about equal to Consols and railway stock. He has worked for land- owners who " were satisfied with a clear return of 21 per cent. on their outlay." The plans for small holdings are interesting and suggestive. Passing over the two least expensive, we have a building comprising stalls for four cows, "fodderum," box for cattle or horse, calf-house, piggery, covered yard in compart- ments for manure and young stock, food store, straw loft, and drain for £158 13s. 2d., a four-per-cent. rent on which would be £6 7s.
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