The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1882-06-30
A Pleasant Day at DeGraff & Hopkins
Stock Farm, GAINESVILLE.

Last Monday, taking advantage OF
business trip to GAINESVILLE, eighteen
miles east of this city, we visited the
well known and widely celebrated stock
farm Of Degraff & Hopkins, situated
about one and one-half miles south of
GAINESVILLE. The farm contains 1900
acres, which Mr.. DeGraff purchased
years ago from the government, and it
has in its borders a diversity of upland,
lowlani and timber, partitioned off by
substantial fences, within whose en-
closures are acres of rank clover and
timothy, and upon which are feeding
herds of thoroughbred Short Horn and
Alderney cattle, and high bred Hamble-
tonian colts. The mansion of the pro-
prietOrs is situated in the center Of
fine sloping ground whose innumerable
shade trees of hard and soft maple
afford II cool retreat from the glare of
the midday sun. The Office of Mr.
Hopkins is back of and apart from the
main house, and is filled with library
of useful books upon stock by the best
authors, while still i'm the rear of this
room is his coy sleeping apartment,
where over the head of the occupants
bed, is very large and exceedingly
fine oil painting of Carrie b., Mr.. Hop
kins' favOritc horse. Farther on to the
east are the immense barns wherein can
be seen the celebrated pure-bred Ham,
bletonian stallion, Alexander, probably
the best animal of the trotting strain
in Southern Minnesota, if not in the
State. Railroad, got by Alexander, one
of the most beautiful horses ever seen,
and Elysian Alexander, got by the same
sire, mahogany bay, with record of
less than three minutes. In the brood
mare line are number of purc-bred
animals which are kept for no other
purpose than breeding. There has been
a new q mile track made this season
upon which the horses are practiced
each day. In the Short Horn line OF
cattle one can have his desires gratihed
to the fullest extent, for he can see at
this farm some of the choicest animals
bred. At the head of the Short Horn
herd stands the It'll Duke of IIillhurst
whose sire was end Duke of Hillhurst.
The cows, two and one year ODDS arc
perfect pictures, combining size, quail
ity and every essential necessary tor
either stock or dairy. One pair of four
ycar-old Short Horn steers which we
were shown weighed over 1890 pounds
each, and fed ON nothing but grass.
Noting the immense size of these ami
mails and their beef producing qualities,
VIC reflected why there was not greater
interest taken by the majority of our
farmers to breed stock possessing char
acteristics of merit and consequent
worth, especially when it costs no more
to raise an animal until it is three or
four years old and be able to sell it Tor
800, than it does to expend the same
time and labor in raising one worth
only $40.
We were much pleased with our visit
and would like to particularize more
fully upon what We saw, but space pro-
hibits. We wish though, that every
farmer who raises stock could have or
would take the time to go and see this
stock and make comparison with the
ordinary grade cattle which are multi
plying upon our prairies. 1t would be
time well spent.