The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1882-1884, 1883-03-22
AMERICAS GREATEST FARM.
4 Description Of General Harding
4.OOOAc Farm in Tennessee.

A DESCRIPTION Of General Harding 8
1000 Acre Farm In Tennessee.
Those unacquai.ted with the
Southern States will be surprised
when told that what is, as whole.
the greatest farm in America, is Ill
the State of Tennessee. 1t is owned
By General w. G. Harding. 1t con
tains 1000 acres of land in one body.
in the highest state of cultivation.
without single rod of waste in the
entire tract. and cultivated IN the
mos: intelligent manner. 1t Ii
called Belle Mead. 1t is six miles
from Nashville. The turnpike lead
ing to it is lined with shade trees
and adorned with the well-kept
lawns and villas of merchants and
professional men. The land of Belle
Mead is gently rolling, all tillable,
and with grass growing on the high
est points. There are no stumps.
although originally covered with
heavy growth of timber. and there
is no part OF it on which the most
improved implements csnnot be used.
Dish. shaped, it is surrounded bv
bills which gradually slope Inward
to Richland creek, a live and most
valuable stream running through the
farm. The Nashville and Chat
tanooga railroad also passes through
it from east to west.
The farm is we'll fenced with a
stone wall on the outside, of which
there are some sixteen miles. costing
eighty cents to $l,40 per running
ward. The inner fences are post
and plank and rail. TIL, farm is
planted about as follows: Two hun
dred acres in wheat. 200 in oats, $50
in corn, fifty in barley, 400 in timo'
thy, 200 in clover 100 in orchard,
$50 in paddocks, the latter sown
with barley and blue grass for win
ter. .
A deer park contains 425 acres,
and there are 1900 acres in wood
land pasture, in in closures of 200 to
500 acres each. sown to blue and
orchard grass for beef cattle and
sheep. AL. of the woodland on the
place, including the deer park.
affords good pasture land. The tim
Der embraces almost every species,
including the shittimwooi of the
Bible. 1t is all Of original native
growth.
Belle Mead farm is conducted by
q master mind. Method and system
are everywhere shown. livery fence
rail is in its place, every corner is
clean, every rood Of land lows the
effect of intelligent cultivation, and
every animals presents and 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 comfort
able, and the highest bred, purcsI
blooled, most spirited horses in the
land. one alone representing a value
of $4,000. are as gentle and tract
able as any ordinary horse. -Four
of these noble animals are worth
about 100000 together. And We,
the mt thods employed are within
the power of every farmer, for every
thing is done on the simplest plan
and in the most inexpensive way
1t is only common farming done in
telligen ly. The $4,000 horse i.
not surrounded by any more fame,
conditions than the 5000 animals o
foolish city people, but they are at
tended with more common sense.
While marketing some 5000 bush
els of corn. $500 bushels of wheat
and 200 to 800 tons of lay per an
mum, the principal product Of thu
farm is live stock, and in one brancl
of that industry it deserves to ranl
first in the world. Three to fou
hundred head of high.class grad
Durham cattle of different ages ar
kept for beef, about $50 head bein,
marketed per year. They are sol,
in Nashville and shipped to Easter
markets, where they command to-
prices. They average in weis b
about 1900 pounds. and are sold Of
of grass without being fed any grail
or hay that could be marketed.
A herd of forty or fifty of as fin
mich COWS as we ever saw Is ais
kept. They are grade Jerseys.
One hundred head of grade Leices
ter and Southdown sheep are KEEP
for table use, and 200 head of grad
angora goats for browsers. to kee1
the pastures cleared of birers an
weeds, as the deer in the park k.e
the land there clear of shrubs. TIL
wool of these goats brings a g,n,
price, and the you " make goo foo.l
Sufficient hogs are raised for HON
use, 100 to l25 being necessar,
When killed they average ESQ to so
pounds each.
lie 425 acres devoted to the dee
park is covered with natura, growt
OF timber. in which the grass grow
and cattle run, The deer numbe
about $50. and may be seen at an
time, leaping and running over til
vast tract.
1t is connected with the thorou II
bred horse that Belle Mead farm hs
reputation in all civilized lands an
ranks FIRST In the world as a breedin
e5tab lishment. There IA searcalv