The Aa'vantages Loans to the borrower, and their utility in promoting the purchase of homes, hinge largely on the fact that the basis of a loan may be established by a few small payments, and that indebtedness may be liquidated by having- its burden distributed evenly over a large number of weeks or months, under conditions that encourag-e or necessitate the adoption of economical habits.
Accessoiy Structures of the accessories of dwelling houses may be enumerated accommodations for horses, dog-s, chickens, and pig-eons; also coach-houses, storag-e for fuel, laundries, green-houses, arbors, verandas, fountains, etc. Some of these contain no features requiring illus tration, and but two examples will be given—the green-house (fii. 14, figs. 29, 3o) and the garden-seat (fig. 35). The former, which belongs to a private property in Berlin, is remarkable not only for the graceful design of its exterior, but also for its complete furnishing. It contains six divis ions, or compartments (ground-plan,fig. 3o). Three of these lie on a lower level and are covered by an inclined glass roof. The middle part of the upper building has also a glass roof as well as a glazed front. These glazed roofs and walls have skeleton frameworks of iron, not only to increase their strength, but also to obviate obstruction of light. The glazed surfaces are covered with mats, wooden shutters, rolling curtains, and other similar contrivances, to protect the plants from the direct rays of the sun and from the cold of winter. These glazed surfaces should always, if possible, face toward the south. It should be remembered that different varieties of plants require different degrees of heat and demand different compartments (fig. 3o); among these may be disting-uislied the cool-house, the hot-house, and the forcing-room. The first, which is used to protect plants in win ter, is not warmed artificially, but is sunk about 6/ feet into the earth, to prevent injury from frost. The hot-houses are artificially heated; this is g-enerally done by a low-pressure water-heating apparatus with copper tub ing, or by warm air. Filially, the forcing-houses are intended for exotic plants, for ripening vegetables, and for forcing- fiONVerS tO b100111 out of sea son. The high temperature which is here required is frequently obtained bv hig-b-pressure water heating. The chimneys which are inseparable
from the beating apparatus are seen in the illustration towering like obe lisks at each side of the building. The ornamental seat (fig. 35), which belong-s to the class of accessory structures erected in the gardens of villas under trees or to command an extended view or landscape, is frequently made of stone, and a trellis of vines is often placed over it, with picturesque effects of statues, vases, and flights of steps.
Interiors of Houses Hall. —Great variety is also found in the individual rooms and other arrang-ements of dwelling-houses, a few leading character istics of which will be seen iu the illustrations. Figure 31 (1./. 14) shows the design of a hall or entry in a private residence in Berlin. \\There the dwelling stands in a row of houses, the hall is preferably placed in the middle or at one end of the facade. As the doors generally stand open, a pleasing vista is arranged toward the garden. When the hall is used for the passage of the house, a wooden flooring is recommended. The height must depend upon that of the first story, but the example shows that great elegance of design is here possible. A notable improvement in the plan of the interior of the better class of American dwellings is the importance given to the entrance-hall (i6/. r6, fig. 3). In the most recent suburban residences the hall is spacious enough to permit of its being used as an ante-chamber or reception-room.
Par/or.—The embellishments of the salon, or parlor, which depend upon the taste of the owner, are generally the handsomest in the house, not only in the adornment of the walls, ceilings, and floors, but also in the furniture, hangings, etc. (fig. 2). In the salon of a villa in Potsdam (fi/. T4, fig. 32) the walls have a richly-moulded cornice and are divided into panels. The windows are built out. The illustration shows the large recess enclosed with pilasters and having a straight ceiling; the curtains are double, white lace hanging below, with woollen material above and a lam breqn in stretched across the top. The size of such a room is generally from 325 to 525 square feet of area, and from I y to 13 feet in the clear for height.