Cottage Economy
How can you tell when your pig is fat enough? Why should you never buy mustard? What's wrong with eating potatoes? Which is better, beer or tea? And what type of straw makes the best bonnets? William Cobbett is the man to ask. Here is his book of practical advice to the rural labouring 'cottager' (first published as a part-work in 1821-22), the precursor in many ways to the handbooks on self-sufficiency that today entice so many city-dwellers.
A champion of the rural working class at a time of huge social and industrial change, a radical politician and a prolific writer, Cobbett is opinionated, passionate and enlightening, making 'Cottage Economy' a fascinating and entertaining window on daily life for the smallholders of his day, and still inspirational, almost 200 years later, to those who seek 'a good living' as the foundation of happiness. (Introduction by Philippa)
The figures referred to in the section on ice houses can be viewed here
Genre(s): *Non-fiction, House & Home
Language: English
| Section | Chapter | Reader | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Play 01 | 01 - No. 1: Introduction; Brewing Beer | Philippa |
00:41:53 |
| Play 02 | 02 - No. 2: Brewing Beer (continued) | Philippa |
00:40:23 |
| Play 03 | 03 - No. 3: Making Bread | Philippa |
00:40:42 |
| Play 04 | 04 - No. 4: Making Bread (continued); Brewing Beer; Keeping Cows | Philippa |
00:34:11 |
| Play 05 | 05 - No. 5: Keeping Cows (continued); Keeping Pigs | Philippa |
00:31:00 |
| Play 06 | 06 - No. 6: Keeping Pigs (continued); Salting Mutton and Beef | Philippa |
00:29:44 |
| Play 07 | 07 - No. 7, part 1: Bees; Geese; Ducks; Turkeys; Fowls; Pigeons | Philippa |
00:29:23 |
| Play 08 | 08 - No. 7, part 2: Rabbits; Goats and Ewes; Candles and Rushes; Mustard; Dress, Household Goods, and Fuel; Hops; Yeast; Swedish Turnip | Philippa |
00:24:55 |
| Play 09 | 09 - No. 8, part 1: English Straw Plat; Postscript on Brewing | Philippa |
00:48:59 |
| Play 10 | 10 - No. 8, part 2: Ice Houses | Philippa |
00:14:45 |
| Play 11 | 11 - Addition: Mangel Wurzel; Cobbett's Corn | Philippa |
00:14:36 |