346 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 9 



their reach; and the same general indications of 

 industry and good management, which appear in 

 the former case. The great object of agricultural 

 curiosity at Hancock, is their magnificent stone 

 barn, two stories in height and ninety-six feet in 

 diameter. The great mow is in the centre, and is 

 said to be capable of containing between three 

 and four hundred tons of hay. The (ioor,or drive- 

 way, is on the outside of the circle, and the team 

 goes round and comes out at the same door at 

 which it enters. Several teams can stand on the 

 floor and be unloaded at the same time. In the 

 centre of this mow a large post or mast is erected, 

 reaching from the ground to the roof. At the 

 apex of the roof is a small cupola, like those usual 

 on distilleries. Around this post, slats or strips of 

 plank are placed at a small distance from it, to pre- 

 vent the hay from coming in immediate contact, 

 and the hay at the bottom being raised by an open 

 frame from the ground, a perfect ventilation is 

 formed, and the steam from the new hay is in this 

 way effectually carried off. 



Upon the whole, it is hardly possible for an ob- 

 serving man to visit these establishments without 

 the highest gratification. They have very great 

 advantages in the amount of labor, which they 

 are able to apply to any purpose, which they de- 

 sign to accomplish; and this labor is a most valu- 

 able capital, though they are not wanting in pecu- 

 niary resources, their honest gains being carefully 

 secured and managed. But they are at the same 

 time entitled to the highest praise for their good 

 conduct and good management. Their farms are 

 literally pattern farms; models of careful, frugal, 

 judicious, exact, neat, profitable husbandry. They 

 are an exemplary and useful community; just in 

 their dealings; peaceful and orderly in their de- 

 portment; wishing well to all men. They contri- 

 bute their full share in bearing the public charges; 

 and at 1he same time they throw no burdens 

 whatever upon the public purse, and ask no favors 

 of the public beyond simple protection. That 

 there are some hypocrites or knaves among them, 

 is very probable; for what community is without 

 its corrupt mixture? but it is highly to their honor 

 that no general charge of this nature has ever 

 been substantiated; and that the general charac- 

 ter of the society for honor, purity, truth, and jus- 

 tice, strong as has been the tide of prejudice and 

 superstition against which they have had to con- 

 tend, has remained unimpeachable. The deciples 

 of Malthus, and the benevolent political econo 

 mists of the present day, could no where expect to 

 see in more, perfect operation the great moral pre- 

 ventive check. To be sure, on the principles o 

 the Shakers, the world must soon become a soli 

 tude; but there are counteracting influences in hu- 

 man nature amply sufficient to save us from all 

 apprehensions of any such disastrous results. The 

 population of the world will go on, and if, with its 

 increase, happiness and improvement will be ex 

 tended, so also must, poverty, misery, and vice 

 prevail. This peaceful community will present a 

 refuge to many, wearied and disheartened with 

 the cares and perplexities of life; will afford a fa- 

 vorable opportunity to other anxious and sensitive 

 minds to cultivate, perhaps under very mistaken, 

 though honest views, and extraordinary virtue, and 

 a purity more than earthly; will open its welcome 

 doors to many a friendless and houseless being, 

 many a desolate and heart broken widow: and 



throw its protecting wing over many a fatherless 

 child, and train him to habits of industry, sobriety, 

 self-government, and moral purity. In all their 

 good deeds and intentions, may the blessing of 

 Heaven rest upon them. Whether they can sus- 

 tain themselves amidst the expanding and bright- 

 ening light, and the continual and extraordinary 

 changes of society, time only can disclose. Their 

 extinction, to say the least, would be the loss of 

 one of the best examples of general sobriety, in- 

 dustry, harmony, good order, and equity, which 

 can be found in the world. But I fear I may 

 have travelled too far out of the. record. I had de- 

 signed to speak of them only as an agricultural 

 community; and as such their management is in 

 every respect an admirable pattern. 



H. C. 



Meadowbanks, Oct. 15, 1835. 



EFFECTS OF BLACKSMITHS' CINDERS AS MA- 

 NURE. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



In the course of almost every farmer's agricul- 

 tural experience, things are brought before his 

 mind by circumstances, which, if properly inves- 

 tigated, might be useful to the public. Such mat- 

 ters generally die with the discoverer, and some of 

 them, perhaps, are re-discovered an hundred 

 tunes, before they become fully the property of 

 the public. Agricultural societies and journals of- 

 ten save from oblivion, valuable facts and opinions 

 which might otherwise be lost. If each one who 

 thinks he has observed any thing worthy of pre- 

 servation, would lay it before some society, or the 

 editor of some well conducted journal, we might 

 occasionally obtain information capable of exten- 

 sive application, in matters, thought by the original 

 observer to be contracted in their nature. This 

 formal introduction is not designed by the writer, 

 as a prelude to the annunciation of any important 

 discovery of his own — it is rather intended to 

 elicit from others information, which diffidence 

 may have led them to withhold, and as an apolo- 

 gy for troubling you, sir, with a matter whose im- 

 portance the writer does not feel capable of de- 

 ciding. 



Some twelve or fifteen years ago — the exact 

 period is forgotten — I spread upon a small piece of 

 land, perhaps about two acres, a large pile of cin- 

 ders, which had long been accumulating, at the 

 end of an old smith's shop. At the time this was 

 done, the chief benefit was expected from some 

 remains of sulphureous matters which might be 

 in the material, as much pit coal had been burned 

 in the shop. I also hoped, that simply blackening 

 the soil would improve its products by enabling it 

 to absorb more heat. The next crop was fine, 

 and it has continued to produce wonderfully ever 

 since. For the last ten years, though very slight- 

 ly cultivated, it has yielded a good crop of corn, 

 except one year, when it brought a fine crop of 

 oats. I do not recollect that I ever put on it any 

 manure, besides the cinders, and 1 hardly suppose 

 that the tenants, who have occupied it for the last 

 nine years, have burdened it with manure. Indeed 

 I do not know, that they have manured it at all. 

 This little lot is considerably exhausted by scourg- 

 ing treatment; but I do not know, in this vicinity, 

 a piece of high laud of the same size, to which, if 



