Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-02-12

A Visit to General wv. g. Hardine,s
Farm.

4
through the courtesy Of A. N. Robin.
son, Esq, General Ticket Agent at
that place, we had the pleasure of a
nylng visit to Belle Meade farm, the
home of Gen. w. G.. Harding, who
as a princely gentleman, and as a
breeder of fine, Hooded horses, has a
national reputation. The day was in
clement, so that the General himself
was not out, and his son-in-law, Gen.
eral Jackson, was detained in Nash
vile on jury, so that we did not have
the pleasure of meeting them; but
"BOb," the colored man, who has
charge of their fine stock, was on
hand, and showed US around.
By the way, bob" is known
wherever Belle Meade is known. In
fact it would hardly be Belle Meade
without Bot" and what he doesn't
know about horse-flesh is hardly
worth knowing.
Gen. Harding's place is full Of at
fractions. 1t is one of the largest and
best improved farms in Tennessee, or
in the South. His home is a palatisl
one, and all his barns and out-build~
ings are constructed after the most APP
proved style. His main barn is very
palace, arranged With view to COM
fort, convenience to out
ward appearance. But the chief at
traction of the place, and that which
has given Belle Meade q word wide
reputation, is its fine horses"
"Great Tom," just recently import
ed from England. is inquired after
now, perhaps, more than any other
horse on the place, and We
drove straight to his stable.
In general appearance, he is not
to the untutored eye what we
would call prepossessing, but he
shows all the marks of high and
thorough breeding. He is nearly or
quite sixteen hands high, and weighs
1,255 pounds. He was imported only
a few weeks ago, and is said to have
improved much in appearance since
his arrival at Belle Meade. He cost
his owner about eight thousand dol
lars, and he is well pleased with the
investment. He will be bred this
season to a plumber of choice mares,
and will doubtless prove all that his
high pedigree warrants his owner in
expecting.
Bonnie Scotland" is another fine
horse. HIS record is established, and
he stands at the head of the list of
American stations. He was imported
by Gen. Harding several years ago,
and is now getting old. His colts will
be found in every Stale in the Union.
One of them, a yearling, was pur
chased at public sale last May, by Mr..
Lorillard, of New. York, who paid for
it the handsome sum of So. 200.
The horses at Belle Meade arr all
sold when yearlings, at public sales.
These sales attract visitors and rur-
There are thirty-twO ysa-iings gu The
place now, all colts of Bonnie Scot
land. The next sale is in May, when
they will be sold for what they will
bring, and they will bring big prices.
We saw several of them and they are
beauties, every one of them being
thorough bred. There are few men in
the Union who have done so much to
give the country fine stock as General
Harding.
Our trip to Belle Meade was the
source of much pleasure, which was
heightened by the privilege OF riding
behind Mr.. RobinsOn's iron grey
Don" one of the best trotters in the
country, his record being 2:22. He
took the first premium last year at a
large number OF fairs in the North
west. On our trip he was coupled with
a beautiful dark bay FLY, not yet
three years old, elastic, symmetrical,
beautiful.