EDITORIAL. 
39 
plants, the culture of these forming but one branch of the operations of this 
industrious people, -whilst agriculture and several manufactures are equally 
carried on. "It is about fifty years, " says Mr. Fowler, "since our Society 
first originated as a trade in this country the business of cultivating and 
preparing medicinal plants for the supply and convenience of apothecaries 
and druggists, and for about twenty years conducted it on a limited scale. 
Some thirty years since Drs. E. Harlow and G. K. Laurence, of our Society, 
the latter an excellent botanist, gave their attention to the business, and in- 
duced a more systematic arrangement, and scientific manner of conducting 
it, especially as to the seasons for collection, varieties, and method of prepa- 
ration. Since their time, the business has rapidly increased, and especially 
so within the last ten years. We believe the quantity of botanical reme- 
dies used in this country, particularly of indigenous plants, has doubled in 
less than that time." 
" There are now probably occupied as physic gardens in the different 
branches of our Society, nearly two hundred acres,* of which, about fifty 
are at our village. As we find a variety of soils are necessary to the per- 
fect production of the different plants, we have taken advantage of our farms 
and distributed our gardens accordingly. Hyoscyamus, belladonna, taraxa- 
cum, aconite, poppies, lettuce, sage, summer savory, marjorum, dock, bur- 
dock, valerian, and horehound, occupy a large portion of the ground • and 
about fifty minor varieties are cultivated in addition, as rue, borage, car- 
d&us, hyssop, marsh-mallow, feverfew, pennyroyal, &c. Of indigenous plants 
we collect about two hundred varieties, and purchase from the South, and 
West, and from Europe, some thirty or forty others, many of which are not 
recognised in the Pharmacopoeia, or the dispensatories, but which are call- 
ed for in domestic practice and abundantly used." 
The drying and storing of so many plants requires much space, and seve- 
ral buildings are occupied wholly or in part for this purpose; the princi- 
pal and central one of which is a neat structure about 120 feet long by 38 
feet wide, two stories high with a well lighted basement and airy garret. 
The basement is devoted to the pressing, grinding and other heavy work, 
whilst at one end the steam boiler is placed. The first story is used for 
packing, papering, sorting, printing, and storing the products, whilst the 
second story and loft are used exclusively for drying and storing. Being 
well lighted and airy, these rooms are well fitted for the purpose. Racks 
of hurdles are conveniently arranged along the centre on which the herbs 
previously garbled are placed to dry, which is rapidly accomplished by the 
free circulation of air that is maintained throughout. The sides of the se- 
cond story room are arranged with large and tight bins, in which the plants 
are put as soon as they are properly desiccated, until removed for pressing. 
Some plants which are very succulent, or viscid, and which are difficult 
to properly cure, as conium, hyoscyamus, and garden celendine ; are desiccated 
* This number probably includes the settlements of Shakers, in New Hamp- 
shire, Ohio, and Western New York. 
8* 
