EFFECTS OF DIET ON THE HEALTH. 
365 
well as natural productions, and always open to 
every one who would bring these blessed gifts 
of heaven to expose for sale. Such a place 
would encourage the cultivation of many a 
waste spot, and prompt the gathering of many 
a wild blossom that now blooms and fades in 
the woods, to bring to the New York flower 
market; bringing with it not only comfort to 
those who cultivate and sell, but cheap and in¬ 
nocent pleasure to those who buy. A love of 
flowers, and a love of mischief are antagonistical 
to each other. Cultivate the former, and the 
latter will fade from the human character. 
The use of the upper rooms I need not point 
out; except in one of them there should be a 
market reading-room, where the farmer in his 
visits to the city, for the sale of his crops could 
always find a much more pleasant plaee to spend 
an hour, than in the unhealthy atmosphere of 
some neighboring bar room. 
What proud satisfaction it would be to us, as 
editors of an agricultural paper, if we could 
take our country friends—particularly the boys 
and girls—through such a place as we have 
pictured for a market house of the products 
grown by the toil of their constant exertions. But 
when we come back to the reality of those we 
have described, we are constrained to think them 
emblems of that too prevalent feeling.—Oh, any¬ 
thing is good enough for farmers—a feeling that 
will continue until farmers shall exert themselves 
to rise above the condition where a faulty educa¬ 
tion, or neglect to study and apply science to 
their pursuits of life, has placed them in the 
scale of society in this country. 
At some future time, in our new periodical, 
The Plow, we will take another stroll together 
through some of the other New York markets, 
and perhaps through those of some other city. 
Solon Robinson. 
————- 
EFFECT OF DIET OH HEALTH AND OTHER MAT¬ 
TERS— INTERESTING- LETTER FROM THE 
SHAKER SOCIETY OF KENTUCKY. 
Amite Co ., Miss., Aug. 1851. 
I enclose a letter received a few days since 
from Mr. Bennet, a member of the Shaker Soci¬ 
ety, near Lexington, Ky. From statistics I have 
seen, they average the longest lived of any peo¬ 
ple in the Union; they own as fine land and as 
fine stock as Kentucky can show; they are very 
wealthy, and the society in the south part of 
the state is also* very wealthy. They seldom 
have any sickness, and never had a case of 
cholera, notwithstanding it was all around them. 
They have abandoned the use of the flesh of 
hogs as food. If you should visit them you 
would be delighted with their village. They 
own the finest Durham cattle I ever beheld. 
What you find in this letter can be relied on. 
E. J. Capel. 
Pleasant Hill, Mercer Co., Ky., June 1851. 
Dear Friend : — Having, in comparison with 
the number of occupants, an abundance of land, 
we are mainly employed in agricultural, horti¬ 
cultural, and other pursuits connected with the 
cultivation of the soil, the rearing of stock, par¬ 
ticularly cattle, sheep, horses for our own use, 
and a few hogs. Our stock of cattle is quite 
large, and consists, in the main, of the thorough¬ 
bred improved shorthorn breeds. The short¬ 
horns, in our opinion, are decidedly the best 
cattle ever introduced into this section of country; 
they are thrifty, well formed, grow large, come 
to maturity quick, and are unsurpassed in their 
milking properties. Some four or five of our 
thoroughbred cows are now giving daily, from 
60 to 66 lbs. of rich milk, making an average 
of eight gallons each. These, it is admitted, are 
rather exceptions ; but a cow that doe-s not give 
six gallons, (48 lbs.) per day, during four or five 
months first after calving, is generally consid¬ 
ered here, below the average. But climate and 
nutrition have their influence, and no doubt a 
race more diminutive and hardy is better adapted 
to your section. 
Devon Cattle .—I saw }mur Devon bull, it is 
presumed, last winter at Bayou Sara, in the care 
of- Clauss. He is a beautiful and well 
formed animal, and doubtless will do well in the 
south—much better, with the same attention, 
than a Durham bull would do. 
South Down, Cotswold, and Fine Wooled Sheep. 
Your South Downs in company with the bull 
were beautiful. These sheep in the south, where 
mutton is the principal object, can be raised with 
more profit than any other kinds; but with us, 
where wool is the leading incentive, they are 
considered very unprofitable—we have tried and 
discarded them. Our flocks consist of Saxony 
and fine wooled sheep, except theBakewell and 
improved Cotswold, but these coarse wooled 
sheep are not numerous with us. 
Swine. —We have but few hogs and these are 
of the Berkshire breed, which we most approve, 
after trial of various other kinds. 
In our habits and manner of living we are 
very regular. We rise in the winter at five, and 
in the summer at half after four in the morning, 
and in the evening retire to rest at nine, or a 
little before, the year round. We breakfast in 
winter at half after six, and in summer at six; 
dine at twelve and sup at six, during the year. 
