The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1847-02-03
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SHAKER, i FARM.

ssThe present settlement Of Shakers, or
United Brethren, gati atiNew-Lebanon,a was
the first spot oil wlichsuiiis sect ever loca-
ted,b They commenced here Eabomt forty
years ago. 4, Thesociety consists II present,
Of about 600 persons, more than half'of
whom4are females. From small begin
nings they have encquiredlargc possessions,
holding at this time, not less than seven
thousand acres Of land mostly lying con.
s;guously. We spent few hours cxamin.
ing various objects, connected with this
community. t@' .1&fs,''a .
% Their buildings are all built in the most
substantial manner, and are constructed
with particular regard to convenience.
One. their barns is considered in all re-
spects the, best contrived and most perfect
ofanyswe have seen. Itis one hundred
and forty-one feet long, fifty feet wide, and
twenty-five feet high in The walls. Ii con-
sists Of three stories. The basement is
devoted TO The stock and the storage ofvcg-
ctables in winter, the second and third to
hay and grain. The main entrance for
preduco is in the third story, which, from
with the ground. A floor runs lcng,hwise
hay and other articles arc pitched down
is capable ofconlaning two hundred tons
Of hay, and is so disposed that scarcely
any Of il has TO be raised higher than the
wagon from which it is thrown. Only two
handssare necessary to unload-onc 10
pitch OIL, and one To keep the NOW level,
thus saving great amount Of labor, COM
pared with what is required in barns Of
common construction.
The apartments for the cattle arc com.
plete. The walls which are Of very solid
stonc.w ork, ,nre plas,ered, and though cool
in'summer, we should suppose they would
be so warm in winter that no frost would be
found there; windows in each side permit
free ventilation. The fodder is thrown
into racks for the stock from the "fceding
floor" in The second story. In front of
racks are managers 10 catch any straws that
drop from the racks, as the fodder is pulled
out hy tic animals. An open spaceis left
between the racks and managers, which al
lows the animals really access to fresh air,
prevents the hay in the racks from being
made unpalutablc by their breath, and gives
room also to slip in boxes. whcni, is wish
ed TO feed with slops or roots. The man
who had charge Of The stock said he could
feed and take care Of hundred animals in
this barn with less labor than he could man
age twenty in aRy other barn he ever saw.
The cattle stand on platform with gen
lie slope, which renders it easier to keep
them clean aud dry. The cows arc tied
will, chains around the neck, and are al
ways milked in their stalls. summer and
winter. They are milked exactly at fixed
times. So punclual ure the attendants to
this thata clock is kept in The aparlment,
and the hcrdsman told us n. what moment
the cows would be in their places.
The barnyard is so conlrivcd that none
ofthe manure is wnsted. i. is kept litter.
cu WIN straw and such waste matters as
can be procured, and the manure from the
stals,is made into compost with that in
the yard, mixed with muck, and is not used
ill il has become fine by decomposition.
Dairying.-The manufacture of butter
and cheese is only carried on to The extent
demanded by home consumption. Cheese
was formerly produced for SALE and Of such
quality that 1t commanded (whcn oll)
fom 2Oito 25c. per pound. The different
dairy apartments were shown TO us, and
ali inlol n,aton in regard 10 tho various
processes and management cheerfu!'y Civ
en-. The buildings appropriated, to this
branch,of business arc rather small.
They were erected soon after the cons
mencemcnt ofthc society, and are less con
yenicnt than most Of their modern slruc-
lures are; is, therefore, designed to sup.
NV their place with, q new cdilice, to be
CONSTRUCTED, on the most approved plan.
The severnl rooms for milk, butter and
cheese, are kept with the mos. scrupulous
ncatncss. Not a fly or any other insect