ason of all good things.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER III.

ARRANGEMENT AND ECONOMY OF THE KITCHEN.

62. "THE DISTRIBUTION OF A KITCHEN," says Count Rumford, the celebrated
philosopher and physician, who wrote so learnedly on all subjects
connected with domestic economy and architecture, "must always depend so
much on local circumstances, that general rules can hardly be given
respecting it; the principles, however, on which this distribution
ought, in all cases, to be made, are simple and easy to be understood,"
and, in his estimation, these resolve themselves into symmetry of
proportion in the building and convenience to the cook. The requisites
of a good kitchen, however, demand something more special than is here
pointed out. It must be remembered that it is the great laboratory of
every household, and that much of the "weal or woe," as far as regards
bodily health, depends upon the nature of the preparations concocted
within its walls. A good kitchen, therefore, should be erected with a
view to the following particulars. 1. Convenience of distribution in its
parts, with largeness of dimension. 2. Excellence of light, height of
ceiling, and good ventilation. 3. Easiness of access, without passing
through the house. 4. Sufficiently remote from the principal apartments
of the house, that the members, visitors, or guests of the family, may
not perceive the odour incident to cooking, or hear the noise of
culinary operations. 5. Plenty of fuel and water, which, with the
scullery, pantry, and storeroom, should be so near it, as to offer the
smallest possible trouble in reaching them.

[Illustration: _Fig_. 1.]

The kitchens of the Middle Ages, in England, are said to have
been constructed after the fashion of those of the Romans. They
were generally octagonal, with several fireplaces, but no
chimneys; neither was there any wood admitted into the building.
The accompanying cut, fig. 1, represents the turret which was
erected on the top of the conical roof of the kitchen at
Glastonbury Abbey, and which was perforated with holes to allow
the smoke of the fire, as well as the steam from cooking, to
escape. Some kitchens had funnels or vents below the eaves to
let out the steam, which was sometimes considerable, as the
Anglo-Saxons used their meat chiefly in a boiled state. From
this circumstance, some of their large kitchens had four ranges,
comprising a boiling-