The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1847-02-03
| S5kGRICULTURAL,..
SHAKER FARM.

f.Iihei present settlement Of Shakers, or
United Brethren, at Lebanon wns
the first spot OH: whichStliis sect ever loca-
ted.G They commenc ed here 5aboUt forty
years ago.i.;Thesoriet consists al present
OF about 600 persons, more than half Of
whom.iareS fanuies. From small begin
nipgsthey yhavencquiredlarge possessions,
holding at this time not less than seven
thousand acres Of land mostly lying con
iiguously. I'VE spent a few hours cxamin-
ing various objects, connected with this
community. iaG .'30EI3t ~!
~ Their buildings are all built in the most
substantial manner, AID are constructed
with particular regard to convenience.
One of their barns is considered in all re-
spects the best conlrivcd and most perfect
ofany we have seen. Iliis 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 Of veg
c.ables in winter, the second and third to
hay and grain. The main entrance for
produce is in the third story, which, from
being on the side ofta hill, is nearly level
with the ground. A floor runs lcng.hwise
through the barn, on this STORY, md the
hay and other articles arc pitched down.
ward into tho bays on cnch side. The barn
is capable ofcontaning two hundred tons
Of hay, and tits SO disposed that scarcely
any Of il has to be raised higher Than The
wagon from which tits thrown. Only two
hands are necessary to unload-"nc to
pitch of. and one To keep the NOW level,
thus Swing great amount Of labor, com.
paretl with what is required in barns Of
common construction.
The apartments for the cattle arc com
plete. The walls which are Of very solid
stone-work, are plas,ered, and though cool
in'snmmer, 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 TO catch any slraws tha.
drop from the racks, as the fodder is pulled
out ny the animals. An open spaceis left
between the racks and managers, which al
lows the animals ready access to fresh air,
prevents The hay in the racks from being
made nnpalalablo by their breath, and gives
room also to slip in boxes, " hcn i. is wish.
ed TO feed with slops or roots. The man
who had charge ofihe stock said he could
feed and tuke care Of hundred animals in
this barn with less labor than he could man.
age twenty in aay other barn he ever saw.
The cattle stand on platform with gem
tie slope, which renders il easier to keep
them clean and dry. The cows arc tied
with chains around the neck, and are al
ways milked in their stalls, summer and
winter. They are milked exactly at fixed
times. So punctual are The attendants to
this, thata clock is keplin the 2artment,
md the herd sman tNld IIs ri w I'm m mon,
the COWS would DO in their places.
The barnyurd is so conlrivcd that none
oflhe manure IS wasted Il is kept litter.
Gu vim straw ana such waste matters us
can be procured, and The manure from the
stalls 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 Cheese
was formerly produced for sale, and Of such
quality that IL commanded (when oltD
fiotJl 20to 25c. per pound. The different
dairy apartments were shown to us, and
all infoi nation in regard 10 the various
processes and management cheerfully Civ
en-. Tho buildings appropriated to this
branch,of business are rather small.
They were erected soon after the COM
mencement Of The society, and are less con.
yenient than most Of their modern struc-
,urcs are; ii is, therefore, designed TO sup.
ply their place with new cdlicc, to be
constructed, on the most approved plan.
The sevetal rooms for milk, hntter and
cheese, are kept with tho mos. scrupulous
nca.ncss. Not fly or any other insect,