The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-05-05
A Tennessee Farm.

"A I0uu0SSG6 T dru4s
Belle Meade, the farm of Gen. w. G.
Harding, six miles from Nashville, Tennes-
see, containing 1000 acres of land in one
body, under the highest state of cultivation,
without a single rod of waste in the entire
tract, is claimed by the Agricultural Re
view to be- on the whole, the greatest farm
in the United States. The turnpike lead
ing to it is lined with shade trees and
adorned with well-kept lawns, villas of
merchants and professional men. The land
is gently rolling, all tillable, and with grass
growing on the highest points. The farm
is well-fenced with stone wall ON the
outside, of which there are some sixteen
miles, costing 80 cents to $40 per run
ming yard. The inner fences are post and
plank and rail- The farm is planted about
as follows: Two hundred acres in wheat,
200 in oats, $50 in corn, 80 in barley, 400
in timothy, 200 in clover, 100 in orchard,
$50 in paddocks, the latter sown with bar
lev and blue grass for winter.
A deer park contains 425 acres, and
there are 300 acres in woodland pasture,
in Enclosures of 200 to 500 acres each,
sown in blue and orchard grass for beef
cattle and sheep. All of the woodland on
the place, including the deer park, affords
oood pasture land The timber embraces
almost every species. 1t is all Of original
native growth. In one pasture OF 100
acres the wood is all walnut another is a
black locust forest for fencing posts. On
the hills are fine yellow poplar, white oak,
pinp. oak and ash of the finest growth.
The average produce Of the fields to the
acre is: Wheat. q bushels; corn, 60 to 80;
oats. 40 to 80; barley, 40 to 90; hay +! to
, tons. Method and system are every
where shown Every fence rail Is in its
place, every corner is clean, every rood OF
land shows the effect of intelligent cultiva-
ton. and every animal presents an appear
ance denoting intelligent breeding and
proper care. The tools and implements
are in their places, the yards are clean, the
stables very plain, but commodious and
comfortable
One Of the specialties is the raising of
blooded horses. One of these animals is
valued at 100000 There are on the place
four stations, eight brood mares and forty
two colts, all of the best breeding, and COM
prising some of the most valuable stock in
the country. The stations are Enquirer,
imported Great Tom, Bramble and Luke
Blackburn. One hundred head Of grade
Leicester and Southdown sheep are kept
for table use, and 200 head of grade AngOra
goats for browsers, to keep the pastures
cleared of briers and weeds, as the deer
keep the parkland there clear of shrubs.
The wool of these goats brings a good price,
and the young make good food. Sufficient
hogs are raised for home use, 100 to 125
being necessary When killed they aver
age 250 to 300 pounds each.
The 425 acres devoted to the deer park
is covered with natural growth of timber,
in which the grass grows and cattle run.
The deer number about $50, and may be
seen at any time leaping and running over the
vast tract. They represent their own in
crease from few animals since the war.
The herd started with one animal caught
on the place in its original wild state, grad
ually increasing the number by catching
three or four each year, until at the be-
ginning of the war there were 300 or 400.
He also had about fifty bufaloes, some
elk and water OK.
The system of farming employed is, first,
deep plowing to pulverize the soil thoroughly
and subject it to winter freezing, by which
it forms reservoir for water to supply the
roots of vegetation with moisture in the
heat of summer 1t is subsoiled fourteen
inches in depth. Manure is only used to
get it out of the way, and artificial fertili-
zers are not employed Good results have
been derived from the use Of ground lime
stone; which is found better than the burnt
article, as burning is believed to destroy
valuable properties of the stone. 1t is ap-
piled the same as land plaster. Rotation
of crops is practiced to prevent wearing out
the land. Red clover is put in for two
years, then wheat, then corn two years
followed by oats and clover Red clover is
found to be a great renovater of soil, like
wise keeping the land in good heart Fol
tired. or what are known as "wOrnOut.
spots" peas are sOwn broadcast to rest and
restore the soil. There are fields on the
place that have been in continuous cultiva
ton for seventy years, and are better now
than they were originally.
While marketing some 5000 bushels OF
corn, $500 bushels of wheat, 200 to BOO
tons of hay per annum, the principal pro
duct of the farm is live stock, and in one
branch of that industry it deserves to rank
first in the world. Three or four hundred
head of high class grade Durham cattle Of
different ages are kept for beef, about l5C
head being marketed per year.