168 



<^l)c jTarmcr's iHnnli)!!} bisiior. 



the periij siiiij;f;liiig for llie surface, llie tendril 

 EL'uicliiiig for siijipoit, ilie root seeUinj; wnier, the 

 liiiiiiO!-a, mid iliu liedv.-uniiii, sue ivjilioiii nielii- 

 pljjsicid powers, without seiisiilions olcoiiscioiis- 

 liess, wheiiVe shoidd lite .-ipcinye and the alcjo- 

 niiiifi (rt'co^irizeil iiieiuhers of the zoological 

 fmiiil^) posoKss tlieiii ?" 



Shaker Farm. 



The present sellJeiiieiit of Shakers, or United 

 Brethren, at New Lehanon, was the (irst sj)ot on 

 which this sect ever located. They cointnenred 

 Iiere ahoui forty jears ago. Thesocifiy cotisJsl.s 

 nt present of alioiil 000 persons, mure ihaii half 

 of whom are It-males. From small hciiiiinings 

 they have acfpiireil larjie possessions, holding at 

 this lime noi le.-.s than seten thousand acres of 

 land, inoslly lying C(iiilij;nonsl_v. We spent a few 

 liours examining various ohjects connected with 

 this roiiimmiiiy. 



Their liuihiings are all huilt in the most snh- 

 stantial manner, and are constrniled wiih pailic- 

 idar regard to cunvenience. One of their hains 

 is considered in all respects llie hesl contrived 

 and most perlect ol' any we have seen, ll is one 

 hnndied and lorty-one leet long, filiy feet wide, 

 and twcniy-live leet high in Ihe vails. It con- 

 sists of three stories. 'J'he hasemeiit is devoted 

 to the stock ami the storage of vegetahles in 

 winter, the second and third to hay and grain. 

 The in.'iin enUaiice fur produce is in the third 

 elory, wliicii, Irom the barn heing on the side ol' 

 a hill, is nearly level with the ground. A floor 

 runs lenglhwise ilnoiigh llie harn on this story, 

 and the hay and oilier anicles are pitched ilown- 

 waid into ihe hays on each side. The harn is 

 capahle of containing two luinilred Ions of hay, 

 and it is so disposed that scarcely any of it has 

 to he raised higher than the wagon from which 

 it is lliKjwn. Only uvo hands are necessary to 

 unload — one to pitch ofl| and one to Ueep the 

 mow level, thus saving a great aiiionnt of lahor, 

 compared wiih vvli.a is retjnired in burns ol 

 common const riici'on. 



'J'he apartments for the cattle are rom[dele. 

 The walls, which are of very solid stone-work, 

 are plastered, and Ihoiigh cool in suinmer, we 

 should suppose they woiilil lie so warm in winter 

 thai no frost wonhl he Ibund there ; windows in 

 each side permit i'vee venlilalioii. 'Ihe fodder is 

 thrown inio racks for the slock from the "feed- 

 ing floor" in the second story. In front of the 

 racks arc tnaiigers to catch any straws that drop 

 from the racks,as the fodder is pulled out by the 

 animals. An open space is left between llie 

 racks and maiiirers, which allows the animals 

 ready aixess to fresh air, prevents the hay in the 

 rucks from being made unpalatable by their 

 breath, and gives room also to slip in boxes, 

 when it is wished to leed with slops or roots, 

 'i'he man who had charge of the stock said he 

 could feed and lake care of a hundred animals 

 in this barn, with less labor than he i ntild man- 

 age twenty in any other barn he ever saw. The 

 cattle staiirl on a pintforin with a gentle slope, 

 which renders it easier lo keep llieiii dean and 

 thy. 'I'he COW'S are tied with chains around the 

 neck, and are always milked in ilieir stalls, suni- 

 nicr and winter. 'J'laty are milked exactly at 

 fixed times. So punctual are the ulleudants to 

 this, that a clock is kept in the aparlment luid 

 the herd-'maii t(dd us at what moment the COWS 

 would he in their places. 



The barnynrd is so contrived that none of the 

 manure is waslc'd. Jt is kept littered with straw 

 and such waste malters as can be procured, and 

 the iiiaiiure Irom ilie stalls is inaile into compost 

 with that in the )anl, mixed with muck, and is 

 rot used till it has become fine by decomposi- 

 tion. 



DAiniriNO.— Tho innDufuctiire of butter and 

 cheese is oidy carried on to the extent demand- 

 ed by home l•on^lIlllptiml. Cheese was formerly 

 produced lor sale, and of such quality that il 

 comnianded (when (dd) from twenty lo twenty- 

 five cents per pound. The same syslem of man- 

 iifacturo is still piirsui d. The dilfercnt dairy 

 apartments were shown lo us, and all inlormalioii 

 ill regiiril lothe various proi'esses and iiianagi'- 

 ineiit checrlolly given. The buildings appropii- 

 iiteil lo this branch of business are lather small. 

 They were erected soon after the coiiimence- 

 meiil of the society, !ind are less convenient than 

 most of their modern structures are ; il in ihere- 

 foti) des'tgiied lo tiupply their place by u new edi- 



fice, to he constructed on the most approved 

 plan. The seveial rooms for milk, butler and 

 elieese, are kept wiili most srropidoiis neatness. 

 Not a fly or any other insect, nor even the least 

 speck of iliit, could he here discovered. The 

 cheese-room was cool and airy; the winilowsol 

 which were proiecled by gauze screens, and the 

 temperatme kept low by welling the floor with 

 cold water. Alter the cheese is properly cured 

 in this room, anil before the wealher has become 

 so cold as lo m;ike it liable lo freeze, it is re- 

 moved lo a roiini in Ihe cellar or husemeni of ihe 

 house. Here llie temperatiire is nearly the same, 

 aboiil 45 degrees at all times. It is kept here for 

 any length of tin e, and iiiipiove> wiili age. 



Economical Arrangement — 'i'he cellar JmsI 

 meiilioned, (which, by the way, is so cold thai 

 no ice house is ever needed,) belongs lo llie 

 house of the principal or seni.ir liiinily. On sig- 

 nllying our wish lo see the arrangements for cul- 

 inary piirpo.-e.s, two of the leniales at once ac- 

 companied US lo the kitchen, and kiiid'y showed 

 us the adiiiirable fixtures, and explained their 

 uses. It woidil be useless to attempt a miiiiite 

 description ol all the lubor-savlng contrivances 

 which are beri! secured. We have examined 

 similar departments belonging to various lai^e 

 estjiblisliiiiitnts, but have never seen such perleci 

 convenii'iices ::s there aie here, and we know 

 not whl(di iiiosi to admire, the skill and ingeiiuiiy 

 evinced ill the original design, or the nt lltlle^s 

 di>pla\ed in their n.se. A view of this beaut - 

 I'ldly clean kilehen, anil llie systematic and i|iiiet 

 manner in which operations are here condncled, 

 is a sight wtirth seeing. 'J'he cooking for a l.im- 

 ily of some 300 persons is here ilone with less 

 labor ihiui is usually retiniied ftir thirty. 



Sales. — A large portion of the sales of the 

 society consist of dried heihs, extracts, and the 

 seeil of vegelables. Stime filly to sixty acres of 

 land are ilevoied lo the piodiiciion of these arti 

 cles. 'J'he aiiiomit of sales, tir tlii^ nett profits of 

 the business, wetlid not learn. 'I'he cultivation 

 of their herb and vegetable gardens, as well as 

 their fields generally, is very neat. 'I'he lieilis 

 and other preparations are put up in the be.~l 

 manner, ami are sold by eslahlished ugenis in ihe 

 large cities, and iilso travelling iigenis over a 

 large poriion of ihe counlry. We noticed a 

 press used lor pressing herbs, wliitdi appears to 

 possess some important imprtivemenis. It was 

 invenleil by a young man belonging lo llie soci- 

 ety, and we believe he has secureil a patent for 

 it. We hope he v\ill furnish tlrawings and a 

 descriplion tif il for insertion in our colnmns. 



We are well aware that many of the improvc- 

 mcnis of which we have spoken cannot be so 

 reailily or advantageously cariietl out on com- 

 mon farms or iinlivitlual estates, anil we cannot 

 bring llieiii forward as deserving nniviMsal ailop- 

 lion ; but we do think that somelliing of the 

 system which is here observed in conilucling 

 biisiiiess, might he profit.. hly imilaleil by many 

 of our liirmers. Above all, we do not hesitate 

 10 recommend, both to litishandiueii and house- 

 wives, the Shaker's examples of neatness and 

 cleanliness, the imilalion of which we are sure 

 would it'snil in the increase of comlbrt and liap- 

 |)iucss. — jUlian}! Ctilliviiloi: 



Ilybernatin^ Aniiniils. 



The milliner in whicli life is supported in those 

 unimal.s, which remain a long time in a slate ol 

 dormancy, is, lo the first view, at least, quite niys- 

 leriou.s. In our region of counlry, we have ihe 

 wootl-chnck,' or "ground hog,") hedge hog, anil 

 some other animals, which pass six to' seven 

 months of the year in a senseless sleep. I)uriiig 

 this long periodj tln-y lake neither food nor think, 

 and most of the fiinciions of the body are totally 

 suspended. 'I'lie black hear also hj bernates for 

 a itoiisideiahle portion of the winter season, but 

 tloes not fill into as low a ilegree of lorpitlilii 

 while " denned up," as some oilier aiiiui.ils. 



■Ji is a iiiaiier wliiidi has ol'ien exeiieil inquiry, 

 how lilc could he supported for so long a time, 

 apparently without snstenaiicc. Observations, 

 however, tenches,' that ill hybernatiiig aiiinials, a 

 ileposit of nourishment is accumulated during 

 their active periotl, whiidi ser.es as a source ol 

 subsistenee dnriiig llie remainder of ihe year. 

 'I'he inateiial vvbich afTorils lliis supply, is fiil, 

 and during the periotl of sleep il is gradually 

 coiisnmeil by the process of respiralion, or in 

 sn|)porliiig lilis. Th»> ainouni of iiaiteriHl ctiii- 



sumed is less, however, than wonhl be at first 

 supposed. 'I'lie rea.-on of this is, Ihul life is only 

 kept up in H very low degree — the vii j sligln ac- 

 tion of the sjsleiii occasioniiig but little waste, 

 and, of eoursi", calling only for u supply propor- 

 tionately small. 



J)r. Holmes, of the Maine Fanner, in a very 

 sensible and interesiing aiticluon lliis suhjecl, 

 remarks : 



"'J'he physiological condilion of lliore iiiiiiiials 

 whicli become completely lorpiil iliiring winler, 

 cannot be perfectly ascertaiiieil. li bus beeil 

 looiid, however, that they h.ave a great tliiiiinnlion 

 ol bodily leinperatnre — biealhe very slowlv in- 

 deed, so tliat it is harilly possible to perceive any 

 respiiatiiin al all — tlie pulsation of llie bean is 

 liardly fell, and the eirciil.itiiin is of course very 

 languid. The leeliiig or irrllalillity is almost ile- 

 slioyed, for \ou can ciil oil' a liiiili ami lay open 

 the body without their appearing to feel il. As 

 we have belbre staleil, they become verv lean and 

 emaciated; but notvviibstandiiig all lliis, when 

 ihty awake al the end of ihe torpid period, they 

 are very active anil vigorous." 



There is one expression (ami but one) in ihe 

 above quolalion, to whieb we lake an exceplion, 

 viz : llial animals " become vrijlean anileinacinled" 

 at the close of iheir hybeinating peiiml— al any 

 rate, we know that they do not aluoi/s become so. 

 We are aware that the idea atlvaiiicd by Dr. H. 

 is also couulenaiiced by Liebig; but still we are 

 satisfied that il is not altogether correct. We 

 have known bears killed in their "dens," where 

 they had remained for lour or five mimths, which, 

 on being dressed, were found excessively lal ; hikI 

 we have known wood-cliiicks ting mil of their 

 holes ill Ihe early part of spring, which were in 

 a surprising stjile of latiiess. 



A'ow we do not by any means assort ihatlhe.se 

 animal.s, would have been as liil at the clo.se of 

 their torpid state as they were .al the couiniencc- 

 mciit, or that ihe fit is not lessentil thuiiig iliis 

 stale; hut we mean lo say that so small an am- 

 ount was consumed, that there was still lell a 

 large surplus deposit. Wnod-chucks, as before 

 slali'il,iire more torpid in winler than be;irs, and 

 they Ihereliire reipiire proporlioiiali ly less lo sup- 

 port lilij; in fiict, we have often heard the re- 

 mark, in our younger ihi\s,. that these animals 

 "come Dul /tiiter in the spring than ihey were in 

 the fall." 'J'he reiearkahle ilegree of liilness in 

 •vvliich they were soiiietimes liinnti in the sprinjr, 

 midonbtedly led to this mistake ; bin their condi- 

 tion al this lime, is good evidence llial only a 

 small amoiint of lat, comparatively, bail been con- 

 sumed during llin winter. 



But the condition of animals at llie close of hy- 

 bernation, depends, of course, on the cunililion 

 they were in when they entered this slate, and al- 

 so the leniperalme, and other circunistances to 

 which they are exposed, 'i hey generally lake 

 care to place ihenuselves below ihe reach of frost, 

 and in a situation where they would be chiefly 

 unaft'ected by changes of lemperatiire. If Ihe 

 ucciimulalion of fat was large in the bill, it will 

 iiol all he required to carry the animal ibrougli 

 the winter. In regard lo bears, it is often re- 

 marked by hunttrs, that tlinsi,' which laiuhle in 

 winter are poor, and that lliosc which rt main in 

 iheir dens are fit, '['he reason is obvious — the 

 lilt tinimal is supportt d from the il. po-ite ;iiquir- 

 etl iliiring the pie\iiMis season; the poor one is 

 ohligeil III procure snbsislence froiii fresh supplies 

 id' food, or perish of slarvaiion. 



J{ul whatever may he the qiiaiitily of liit whicli 

 these .inimals m.iy have wlitii ihey first cinne out 

 of their hilling places in Ihe spring, ihi \ quickly 

 lose il. We are ct>nviiiceil of this liict, partly 

 from our own observatio'-, iiiiii lioiii the assuryii- 

 ces of experienced hunters. I'liey have inliiriu- 

 eil us tliai the nisi objicl of the animid on aw.di- 

 ing from its long sleep, is lo procure hei ha;;e of 

 a calhartic quarnv; and under the eonrse td' de- 

 pletion which is "puisu.il, the system is rapidly 

 reduced,— the fat is cinied oft", anil the hair he- 

 comes loose, and falls oft: In a very slii>rl lime 

 howiver, the aiiimnl appears lii have uudirgone 

 n complete renov.ilion ; his old coal is succeeded 

 by !i new and brighltr one, anil with renewed 

 streiiiilh be resumes his career of life. 



l.iEiiiucilesa case of a pig, whiili, having been 

 onrwhelmed by a slip td' earth, lived l(:0ilajs 

 wilhonl food; but il was found that during this 

 time il had lost in weight I'.'O pound.-. In reler- 

 entvo to this, it should l)e remembered that Ihe 



