Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-09-06
Written fer tho Nirror.
our MAINE LETTER.
COMMUNITY vARNiSG-riir ALFRED
FAMILY 90 suAkrRs- YARN
ERs-urCm 90 VALUE A>p iNrkR.
Isr To AGRICULTURE.

out their methods. 10 moiel farming !.
carried on by them II IL IL such char
act.r that Individual farmers cannot
well adopt the same. either IN part o'
whole. therefore they give little ait.n-
tion to their method. which are often
deemed impraetlcablc of being followed
by individual farmers upon smaller
farms. Yet am SURF that the intelll
gent farmer, snxious Tor nes Ideas and
for advancement, cannot fall Ia lcaru
much from a careful study of the sy.'
TEN aud methods In use by communi'
tie. In New Hampshire or this state. By
the term community farming ! refer
..peclslly to that carried on by the con-
muniii.s known a. shakers, Of which
there have for many years BEEN thrcs
famill-. IN this state, VIZ! at Poland.
New Gloucester and Alfred. Several
ycars ago the families st the two former
places we're consolidated, and more o..
csutiy those AZ New Gloucester aud ~
fred have placed themselves under on'
msnagcment. II u common saying
that "Shak,rs are good farm.r.,' aud
the same must be true In = communlty y
Nhef, thrift aud economy have so lsrs.
a part In the principle. oi management
a. they do In that ~ the sh,kcr., where
ever, thing l. conducted With the most
simple economy aud the sirict..t rcgari
Ia system sud method.
Being In the historic old town of Al
fr-d some wc.k. since, and remembering
that my old friend, Henry Green, Whom
I have known a. an exhibitor at our
state fair. for many yc,r., wss at the
Sh.kcr community there (where hc \.
nos one Of the managing ,llersl ] lie
cilc,l "a make ,l.it Ia ih. community
and look over their stock aud general
iamlng. The Alir,si family II shskrr-
/. onc hundred aud ,ish, years Old, hi,'
Ing observed IL. vntsnniNl In an sppto-
pirate manner la lsS>. it, leading el-
7 der u john u. Vance. than whom there
/. no msn la the town ~ Nlfrci, or wber,
2 b. l. known. Who l. held Ia higher e.
tr.m. Mr.. Vance VA. horn la what l.
nos the town of Nsnc-borough la
/ rruol.cot county. which was fir.t &C.
,upi.,l aud ssiil.l by hi. piternil gran J.
I fstI,cr. for whom tile town was after
warL. named, and has ,,ecu az the shsk'
~ family In Alfrcd hfty.four years.
Eliet Vance u fine type 81 man, ha.
ps ff,ci hcalth aud NJ ssNcnty-fo y.
I cipshl. of doing q. hard . DAYS work
upon the farm q. slmp.t ,uy man NJ Ut
Ity. IL I. an cNc,llsut aiminisirsti'.
oiilccr. sound an,l caution. In Judgment.
s-niaI and pleasant In his Intercourse
Nitli all. ani I. universally likei lie
has gr,~uu from young man viii,
\ this family aud h,. for long term of
year. becn li. mo.t trusted munger
/ aud counselor. The shaker village at
/ Alfrc,l l. located ou high ridge oi land
north IL ia. village of the tosn, about
two milrs distant frOm II. ani the entire
farm. ur farms. oanei by the family
,nn.I.ts ot thlftccu hundred scrr., in'
cludlng much valuable woOi aud timber
I land. The location I. iine, commanding
an extensive view ~ the country to the
north sud w.st. the white mOuutsin
range lclng In sight, while just at the
foot of the hill upon which the cotninu-
nity l. situaici. v shaker pond, one of the
most beautiful sheet. of water IN this
section. Tie .oll 10 this ridge l. strong
aud hard. fertile aud productive. There
are luxuri,ni young orchards, we'll cnl-
| tlyaicd Held. and heavy crops of corn,
graiu aud potsioe., all over these hill.
I .ldc. .loping toward. the north aud
wr.t. The farm cut. on. hundred and
/ flfty tons of hay, and TIL. season there
sr. about fiftccn scrc. In tlllsgc, cm-
hracIng mia. ani half acres of corn Tor
| .ilagr. aud i've acres Ia POTATOES.
The total number % bulliing. com
pri.lng the shaker village !. bet~--n
forty aud fifty. which embrace barns and
/ stables. work shops, storage buildings,
a dairy buildlng, public hall aud dwell
| ing houses. They are situated In double
aud single rows upon either side of the
highway AZ about equal distances apart,
| all are substantial aud plainly built, hut
kept neatly painted and In the beet con-
dition a. Ia repair. No dilspidatsd or
unsighily looking buildings are tolerat-
ed la the community. A. an evidence
Of this I wlsh Ia refer to one buildlng
which especially attracted my attention
a. 1 approached the village. II Was a
small one-.tory cottage, spotle.sly white
and having green blinds. Across the
southern eDd VA. q broad yeraDdA en-
closed In lattice work up"n which run
ming vine. had formed complei. screen.
! About this platform w.tv numerous pot
plants and flowers, and ,her. was box
window garden st nearly every window.
As I rode through the village 10 the
tru.tee.' Office I said to myself: THAT
buildiug !. undoubtedly the home oi
some of the more elderly of the women,
or possibly of one of the elderessc..'
Behold INV surprise when the Elieress
Fannie, Who so very kindly conducted
me through some ot the buildings aud
over portions of the grounds, brought
me "a this pretty cottage-the dairy
building. Aud Il Was q model. Every
part of II VAS n neat as parior, aud u
was lifted up Ia the most approved
modern manner, With steam power, sep
arstor, churns, butter workers, refriger'
ator aud all the apparatus of n hrstclas'
Creamery. although the family Ia nov
selling it, cream, fifty inches per day, "a
the springyale creamery In Sanford,
which sends for the cream three times \
week, a distance of seven miles. ODe ol
the most Interesting buildings In th'
village Il n small onc-story house, which
IL over one hundred year. old, aud IL nov
almost entire In It's original condition
When Prof. Edward \. Morse of salem
Mass, visited the shaker village u veal
ago be was greatly Interested In thi. old
builiing. especially Its timber frame
open fireplace, and stairway 20 th'
chamber; they are each 90 odd, unique
md artistic. lie suggested that II b.
restored to It. original condition-ln on'
ar two particulars wherein some slight
changes had been made-and that II bs
kept, always, In Its original condition
and used ~ a sort Of historic museum
Prof. Morse will De pleased to know thai
his suggestion is to be carried out. Sew
eral of the buildings are three stories Ia
height, and all are kept In the neatesi
msnner outside and Ia. In one building
Elder Henry has one Of the hest work
shops Z have ever seen anywhere. IL !,
provided with steam power. has stean
isthes and other mschinery, u stocket
with q large assortment OF hrst-clas'
tools, and In one cosy corner there II {
desk aud easy chairs, . good library, and
his table h vel ] supplied With the besl
msgaslnes. Elder Henry Il held "a
much esteem by all the townspcopls,
and Il In high authority In the commu.
nifty, belng the second elder In ranh
Of management. Elder John II one ol
the most progressive Of men, and keeps
up With ths tlmes In all pertaluing Y
tks hrn management. Ths main cattle