254 



THE GENESEE FARMER 



August 12, 1833 



In thus submitting my opinions, which I 

 feel myself called on to do in obedience to 

 the instructions of your Honorable Board, I 

 wish to be understood as by no means rec- 

 ommending, that the cultivators of flax gra- 

 e rally, particularly those in the North of Ire- 

 land, where the linen trade is of vital impor- 

 tance, should vary from the plan they have 

 hitherto pursued, until they have had /kM and 

 ampleproofs by practical experience, that flax 

 may be rendered suitable for the finest Lin 

 ens, and at the same time yield seed. To 

 accomplish this object I would again respect 

 fully suggest, that some arrangement be 

 made by your Honorable Board to introduce 

 in different districts the plan of cultivating 

 flax as practised universally throughout the 

 Netherlands — a system that affords the in- 

 dustrious farmer a full remuneration for his 

 labor and capital, and gives employment to 

 thousands of the laboring poor, which, if at- 

 tainable, in the present state of the peasant- 

 ry in the west and south of Ireland, would 

 be of the greatest moment. Annexed to the 

 report, which 1 have now the honor to pie- 

 sent to vour Honorable Board. 1 have given. 

 under the head of observations, a detail of 

 the mode practised throughout the entire of 

 Holland, ike. in every process of cultivation, 

 and treatment of the flax plant, from the sow- 

 ing of the seed until it was prepaied for mar- 

 ket. In thus following the instructions of 

 your Honorable Board, i learned that per 

 niitting the flax plant to seed is not only 

 found to be of the highest importance by the 

 cultivators, as a matter of profit in that re- 

 spect, but is likewise considered as adding 

 much to its tension and produce of material, 

 if properly steeped and treated in the after- 

 processes : under this impression, whilst on 

 my tour, I took the liberty of addressing 

 your Honorable Board, ann of suggesting to 

 you such matters as then seemed to ine like- 

 ly to further the objects your Honorable 

 Board, has always had in view, that of pro- 

 moting the general interest of the linen trade 

 of Ireland, by improving the cultivation of 

 flax ; and I have now only to hope, that my 

 humble efforts in your service in theNetherr 

 lands, may meet your approbation. 

 I have the honor to be, 

 My Lords and Gentlemen, 

 Your most ob't humble serv't, 



PETER BESNARD. 

 To the Right Hun. the Trustees of the linen 

 and hempen manufactures. 

 • ' '• I 



From llie DJ.'.v l l'I lid farmer. 



THE SHAKERS, OR UNITED SOCIETY 

 There are sixteen Societies of this pecul- 

 iar denomination in the United States; in 

 Alaine.New-Hampshi re. Massachusetts, Con- 

 necticut, New York, Kentucky and Ohio. — 

 There are in all of these societies the popu- 

 lation of about 5000. Each society consists 

 of 3 and some 4 families (so called :) the lar- 

 gest and most central Family is called the 

 church. These church families contain 60 

 and so on to 100 members. Two societies 

 generally constitute what is called a bisho- 

 pric; each Bishopric is under the adminis- 

 tration of 4 Elders (2 males and 2 females) 

 whom they greet with the title of Ministry. 

 The Ministry reside alternately at each 

 society. They have the appointment and 

 dictation of all the other elders and officers 

 of the societies in their bishopric. Each of 

 the churches and families have 4 elders (2 

 males and 2 females) who have the immedi- 



ate care of the spiritual concerns of their re- 

 spective families. Each church has 2 trus- 

 tees who are the keepers of the money, &.c. 

 belonging to the church. They have an of- 

 fice for the transaction of business with those 

 who are not of the society; in their name 

 are written all the deeds, notes, &ic, they al- 

 so do all the tradings and make all stipula- 

 tions with (what they call) the world's peo- 

 ple. Distinct from them are also two dea- 

 cons who have the management of the do- 

 mestic concerns and to whom the members 

 make application for whatever they are in 

 want of, and their resources are supplied by 

 the trustees. No individual keeps any mo- 

 ney — or can call any property his own, but 

 all is ceded to the general common stock, so 

 that, according to the answer a young lady 

 among them made to an inquiry, if she pos- 

 sessed any property there, 'Nothing is mine, 

 but all ours.' 



They have a covenant which is signed by 

 all the members of twenty-one years of age 

 and upwards the purport of which is — they 

 resign all claim as individuals to any prop- 

 eitv which is there or that they may bring 

 into the society — all claim to any remunera- 

 tion for their services — and they will devote 

 and employ themselves to their best abili- 

 ties for the support and promotion of the so- 

 ciety, having secured to them a good living 

 ind equality so long as they remain mem- 

 bers and no longer. Parents in general give 

 heir children a small portion of their prop- 

 erty, but the main part to the society. 



As to their requirements of duty, each one 

 is left to judge and act for himself, though 

 in idle, indolent person, with this industri- 

 uis community soon finds no comfort or en- 

 joyment and therefore such ones gener illy 

 expel themselves. Each one has his or her 

 allotted employment so that every bianch 

 has its necessary attention paid to it. 



They have a numerous list of order' or 

 gifts, as they are called, with them, which 

 they are very strict and attentive in observ 

 i:ig ; besides the many relating to their reli- 

 gious life, thev have those of a temporal na- 

 ture, which are of equal importance to them. 



It is against order for any one man and 

 woman to converse or be together without 

 a third. For any one to blame or censure 

 another on any account before any one ex- 

 cept their elders, or expose their own trials 

 except to them ; it also against order to leave 

 anv gates open, bars down or to permit any 

 broken windows to remain so, which thev 

 are very strict in observing. They are also 

 very strict in having cleanliness and decen- 

 cy observed in their houses and door-yards ; 

 or to spit upon the floor, or to be anywise 

 boisterous in their dwelling houses. They 

 always have a place for every tool, and keep 

 every tool in its place, consequently have no- 

 thinglost; many of these rules trifling asthey 

 may appear, it would be well to have adopt 

 edby every household or community. They 

 generally have two dwelling houses in each 

 church and one in each family ; those in each 

 church or family all sit down at one table 

 and meet three evenings in a week together 

 for their evening devotions, which are gen- 

 erally singing, dancing and a reminding of 

 their orders and gifts; they always before 

 these meetings retire to their respective 

 rooms in their dwelling houses and observe 

 the strictest silence for the space of half an 

 hour. They retire at 9 o'clock (all atone 

 time) and arise about 4 or 5 in the morning. 

 They arc very regular and temperate in their 



diet, having no extravagancies, and moder- 

 ate in their habits having no superfluities. 



Their farms and orchards are in the high- 

 est state of cultivation, they have been long 

 noted as manufacturing the best of articles, 

 such as brooms, tubs, seives, Sic. and also 

 for raising garden seeds, but it is not to be 

 wondered at that the recent great advance- 

 ment in horticulture has left them behind in 

 this respect. 



They are very attentive to company of 

 which they have much in the summer sea- 

 son ; and truly it is time pleasantly spent to 

 visit their beautiful neat villages. There is 

 one in Shirley, Massachusetts, which the 

 traveller would pronounce he most pleas- 

 antly situated and neat village this state af- 

 fords ; it has i beautiful white church about 

 6 or 8 dwelling houses, and 20 or 25 other 

 buildings in which are carried on the van 

 ous branches of mechanism, kc, 



G. C.B. 



From the Plough Boy of 1819— Vol. I. 

 THE MORAL PLOUGH BOY. 



"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider 

 her ways and be wise.'— This advice 

 given by a man hose experience and wis- 

 dom has commanded the admiration of the 

 world for centuries, cannot be too rigidly in- 

 culcated. When the sloinlul man reflects on 

 the unwearied exertions of the ants, and 

 compares their activity with his indolence, 

 the blush of shame ought to crimson hi* 

 cheek : for the ants pursue with unabated 

 zeal their daily employment merely for sus- 

 tenance ; the prospect ot g lin does not stim 

 nlate ; ambition does not actuate, and none 

 of those pom 'ul inducement* which ope- 

 rate upon the human species, can have any 

 influence upon the actions of these insects. 

 The regularity and method which distin- 

 guish the operations of the ants are convin- 

 cing proofs that industry and perseverance 

 ate the basis of civil order : for they pursue 

 without the smallest inconvenience, altho' 

 living together in swarms, their daily occu- 

 pations. A desire of assisting one another 

 appeals to animate all; for we have fre- 

 quently observed one of them struggling be- 

 neath a heavy burden, and after repeated at- 

 tempts to reach the place of destination fail - 

 ing, one of his companions would run to his 

 support, and assist in carrying the burden. 

 From this let man, the proud monarch of 

 all creation, learn a useful lesson, and follow 

 the t Lample of this litile insect, and when 

 'he beholds his neighbor oppressed with a 

 ; heavy burden and sinking under accumula- 

 ted misery, let him proffer the hand of friend- 

 ship and alleviate his misfortunes by reliev- 

 ing him from despondency and raising him 

 :to prosperity. Providence has placed the 

 whole animal creation under the control of 

 jman, and appears to have expressly d( 

 i ed a poition of it for his instruction, and as 

 j none have so good an opportunity of con- 

 templating the works of nature as the Plough 

 Boys, let them employ their faculties, and 

 whilst invigorating their bodies by whole- 

 some exercise, let them not forget, in their 

 noon-day and evening repose, to expand 

 their minds by reflecting on the vast field 

 which nature has placed imediately within 

 their observation. 



From considering the dwelling place of 

 the ants we are naturally led to reflect upon 

 the habitation of the industrious farmer; 

 and here a scene presents itself which must 

 command our admiration. Content encir- 



