278 
Letter from a Member of the “Uniten Society” (usually denominated 
* Shakers"), Harvard, Massachusetts, U.S.A., to Dr. Asa Gray, on 
the subject of the native Medicinal Herbs so extensively prepared by 
them for medicine ; dated June 8, 1853. 
Several of our societies in the United States have, in consequence of 
their peculiar location not being adapted to extensive farming, preferred 
raising and preparing Medicinal Herbs, Roots, Barks, etc., for market, 
as an occupation peculiarly suited to a community associated together 
upon our principles. It furnishes a more healthy employment for a 
number of females than most of the labour performed by them at the 
present day, and it affords employment in the winter for men and 
women in preparing, packing, etc., ready for market. 
It would be very difficult to give the exact amount of articles put up 
by our societies, or the amount of sales. : 
At this place we have been engaged, and gradually increasing in tbis 
business, for the last forty years: we have about three acres of garden, 
besides what we gather wild and buy yearly. We have been making 
extensive improvements during several years past, and are now prepared 
to méet the increasing demand for all articles growing in the Northern 
States which are included in the vegetable practice of medicine. 
Out of thirteen of our societies in the United States there are but 
four that do much of this business, their locality being better adapted 
to farming and other purposes. One society of our brethren at New 
Lebanon have been longer in this business than ourselves, and carry 
on a very extensive trade. They have recently made great improve- 
ment in the manufacture of pure vegetable extracts, prepared i» vacuo 
on scientific principles. They have had long experience, and have re- 
cently set up a steam-engine and other expensive apparatus of the latest 
improvements, for facilitating and improving the manufacture of the al- 
coholie and hydro-alcoholie, as well as the simple kinds of extracts and 
fuspissated juices. They are now prepared to meet orders from all parts 
of the world; extracts prepared by them, I think, are not surpassed by 
any other manufactory in the world. 
The amount of Herbs, Roots, etc., prepared by our societies cannot 
be less than twenty tons per annum; these articles, pressed in pound 
cakes, and papered in the neatest manner, average about 300 dollars 
per ton. 
AA 
