188 . FJRMERS DEPJR TMENT.

Foaming Pigs on Coal.—Cunningham, in his Taro Years in New South Wales, relates, ‘ I had often heard it said among sailors that pigs

' would fatten on coals, and though I observed them very fond of munching up the coals and cinders that came in their Way, still I con- ceived they might relish them more as a con- diment or medicine than as food, till I was as- sured by a friend of mine, long in command ofa ship, that he once knew of a pig being lost for several weeks in a vessel which he commanded, and it was at last found to have tumbled into the coal hole, and there lived all that period without a single morselofanything to feed on but coals; on being dragged outtt was found as plump and fat as ifit had been feast— ing on the most nutritious food. Another friend told me of a similar case, which came under his observation: and although these may 'be solitary instances. yet they serve to show the wonderful facility which the stomachs of cer. tain animals possess ofadapting their digestive powers to such an extraordinary species of food, and extracting aportion of food there— from. When we consider coal, however, as a vegetable production, containing the constitu- ent principles of fat, carbon, hydrogen and oxygen our surprise will decrease.‘

BLOATI N G IN CATTLE.

A French gentleman communicates the fol- lowing cure for this commonly fatal disease.

The Volatile Spirit of Ammonia is found to produce instantaneous relief. lts action is che- mical, decomposing the gas generated in the stomach by fermentation.

_M. Thenard, the celebrated French profes- sor of Chemistry, speaking of the’utility of scientiﬁc investiguidns, and of the innume- rable instances where they had been found sub- servient to the general interests of society, among many others, adduced this as an exam- ple, and related the following anecdote, in il- lustration of its eﬁ'ects.

A short time previous, while on a visit to his native village in some remote part of France, adrove of30 or 40 cattle broke into a ﬁeld of rank clover, and all of them became atfected with bloating,’ and when discovered some of them were so far gone as to fall down upon their fore legs He called immediately for Spirit of Ammonia, but none could be found in the place, and they were obliged to send four milbs to a neighbouring village before it could be procured. He commenced by gi- ving it to those most severely affected, and soon to the others, and all were saved ex- cepting two. lfthere had been no delay in getting the remedy probably none would have been lost.

The dose for a cow or ox is_a table spoonful. for asheep a teaspoonful, diluted in water or any conveientliquid.- lfaot eﬁ'ectual, repeat the dose—Am. Citizen.

THE BRITISH mamas:

Potatoes food for Hones—To every a). pounds of potatoes, washed and steamed, is ad. ded half a pint of salt, and occassionally a small portion ofsulpher; this quantity will mere than supply a horse kept at work constanly for 6 days. Horses thus fed will perform with the greatest case, all the common labor ofa farm, without hay or oats,—English. publication.

RING BONE AND SPAVIN.

A correspondent in the New England Far- mer, says: “ I know from actual experiment that the following recipe will—

Cure Ring Bone and Sport» in Horses.

Take 602. of the oil of Origanum—2 _oz. Camphor, and 2 oz. of Mercurial ointment; mix them well together and rub the place affected two or three times a day, keeping the horse dry.

MISCELLANIOUS.

THE SHAKERS, 0R UNITED SOCIETY.

There are sixteen Societies of this peculiar denomination in the United States; in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Kentucky and Ohio. There are in all of these Societies a population of about 5000. Eachsociety consists of3 and some 4 familes (so called:) the largest and most central Family is called the Church.— These church families contain 60 and so on to 100 members. Twosocieties generally constitute what is called a Bishopric; each Bishopric is under the ad- mistration of4 Elders( 2 males and two feo males) whom they greet with the title of Mi- nistry. The Ministry reside alternately at each Society. They have the appointment and dictation of 'all the other elders and ofﬁcers of the societies in their Bishoprtc Each of the churches and families have 4 elders ( 2 males and 2females who have the immediate care of the spiritual concerns of their respec- tive families. Each church has two trustees who are the keepers of the money. &.c, be- longing to the church. They have an oﬁice for the transaction of business with those who are not of the society; in their name are writ- ten all the deeds, notes, &c. they also do all the tradings, and make all stipulations with (what they call) the world‘s people. Distinct from them are also two deacons who have the management ofthe domestic concerns and to whom the members make application for what- ever they are in want of, and their resourses are supplied by the trustees. No individual keeps any money—or can call any property his own, but all is ceded to the general common stock, so that, according to the answer a young lady among them made to an inquiry, if she possessed any property there. {Nothing is mine, but all ours.’

They have a Covenant which is signed by all the members of twenty-one years ofage and upwards, the purport of which is,—they resign all claim as individuals to any property which is, there or that they may bring into the Socie- ty all claim to any remuneration for their

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services—and they will devote and employ themselves to their best abilities for the sup. port and promotion of the Society, having so. cured to them a good living and equality so long-as they remain members and no longer, Parents in general give their children a small portion of their property, but the main part to the society.

As to their requirements of duty, each one is left tojudge and act for himself, though an idle, indolent person, with this industrious community soon ﬁnds no comfort or enjoy. ment and therefore such ones generally ex. pel themselve. Each one has his or her al- allotted employment so that every branch has its necessary attention paid to it.

They have a numerous list of Orders or 0:71,, as they are called, with them, which they are very strict and attentive in observing, be. sides the many relating to their . religious life, they have'those of a temporal nature, which are of equal importance to them.

It is against order for any one man and woman to converse or be together without a third. For any one to blame er censure ano- (her on any account before any one except their elders, or expose their own trials ex- cept to them; it is also against order to leave any gates open. bars down or to permit any broken windows to remain so, which they are very strict in observing. They are also very strict in having cleanliness and decency ob- served in their houses and door-yards: it is against order even to shut the doors hard, or to spit on theaﬂoor, or to be anywise boisterous in their dwelling houses. They always have a place for every tool, and keep every tool in its ' place, consequently have nothing lost; many ofthese rules triﬂing as they may appear, it would be well to have adopted by every house- hold or community. They generally have two dwelling houses in each church and one in each family; those in each church or family all sit down at one table, and meet three evenings in aweek together for their evening devotions, wich are generally singing, dancing and a re- ’ minding of their orders and gifts; they always before these meetings retire to their respec- tive rooms in their dwelling houses and observe the strictest silence for the space of half an hour, They retire at 9 o’clock (all at one time) and arise about 4 or 5 in the morning. They are very regular and temperate in their diet, having no extravagancies, moderate in their habits having no superﬂuities.

Their farms and orchards are in the highest state ofcultivation, they have been long noted as manufacturing the best of articles, such as brooms, pails, tubs, sieves, kc. and also for raising garden seeds, but it is not to be wonder- ed at that the recent great advancement in Horticulture has left them behind in this res- pect.

They are very attentive to company of which they have much in the summer-season; I truly itis time pleasantly spent to visit their beautiful-heat villages. There is one is Shir