The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-09-11
HAPPY BELLE MEADEP
The Farm Where the Famous
Proctor Knott was Bred.
correspondence of The Constitution.


inst bought for $3.50 at the Belle Meade sale
after Governor Proctor Knott, he intended
thereby to lend the colt consequence. The
oolt is now more famous than the governor
and has carried their common name into coun-
tries in which the statesman was never heard
Of.
In minute and a quarter last Monday the
solt made more money than the man has
amassed in life time. For winning three
fourths of mile in 1:15A at Sheepshead Bay
and leading a bunch of nineteen other colts a
length or so, he earned SCI, 450. Clearly, if
the name Proctor Knott becomes immortal it
Is the colt that will carry it. The colt has
blotted out the man. (Mem.-If they propose
to name a colt after you don't consent until
YOU are sure the colt can't run faster than you
CAM
When man Tor horse) becomes famous,
the world wants to know all about his home
and his raising. So letu describe the home of
Proctor Knott-the colt. we mean Nobody
cares Just now to hear about the man.
Never conqueror issued from princelier
home than that from which Proctor Knott
1.-THE colt went forth as yearling. Belle
Meade is the finest American estate. It's
broad acres were bought and eompacted by
General Harding, tie nestor of the American
turf. For fifteen years it was the home of
Oll.
For two seasons this good old horse led the
winning sires of America, and his colts at the
annual sale brought higher average than had
ever been brought save one sale at the queens
breeding farm in England.
AS General Harding was forced by ad-
vancing age 10 give up management of the vast
estate. it went into the capable hands of Gen.
eral w. II. Jackson, his son-in-law. So per-
feet is the system on which the estate is run
that commission sent out by the French gov
eminent to examine the great housekeeping
farms of the world officially reported that
Belle Meade "was the best establishment they
had seem"
Belle Meade" consists of 5000 acres, of
which $500 acres are under fence. The land
would be cheap at $50 an acre. And yet 400
acres is thrown into park and given up en-
tirey to the hundreds of deer that make it
their home. The estate is administered with
military precision and discipline. There is the
department of thoroughbred horses with 100
mares, eight stations and a hundred or SO
colts; of beef cattle with 600 head of
Cashmere goats with 400 head: of hogs with
almost countless droyes of Shetland ponies
with 100 head the department ofagriculture, of
fruits; the mechanical department., with its
grist mills, saw mills, etc. Every department
has its head Enormous crops of hay, corn
and oats are made, but not pound is sold.
Stock is bred to turn the crops into flesh.
Nothing is sold from Belle Meade" says
General Jackson, except what walks off on
four feet" General jackson does not raise
sheep for market. He says, 81 do not believe
sheep will pay on land that costs more than So
an acre"
THE BREEDING OF RACE HORSES.
A fascinating business is that of breeding
racers at Belle Meade. bill
In May OF every year every colt on the place
Is sold at public cutlery as yearlings. Usually
about forty colts are offered and BUYERS come
from the world over. The price of the year
lings depends on the fame of the sires in the
stud. In Bonnie Scotland's palmy days the
forty Belle Meade colts were good for more than
$50 COO at public sale. One yearling, brother
of Luke Blackburn, then in his glory, brought
1850 and turned out of no account. Promis-
ing looking youngsters often brought from
$4,000 to 5000.
The splendor of its stud is the glory of
and each one is a king. There is
Enquirer, grand horse for which Cen
eral Harding gave $4,000. Luke Blackburn,
who was bred at Belle Meade, was sold for $500
for the turf, made the fastest mile and half
ever run, won $49,1G0, and was then bought
back for $4,000, and has now sired Proctor
Knott. Great Tom, imported from England
at cost of $4,000, and the sire of Knott's
mother. Iroquos, the winner of the English
Derby, brought into the Belle Meade stud
in his day, and three other stall
lions. The Belle Meade stations cost over
$4,000 The harem of these kings is made up
OF 10 mares, combining the best racing strains
great care and Judgment.
For example, see how intelllgently Proctor
Knott was evolved. General Jackson selected
Capitola, strong Lexington mare. He bred
her to Great Tom, having great faith in this
enormous stallion and the racing strain that
ran i'll his veins. The daughter of this union
he bred to Luke ackburn-the son was Proc
tor Knott, the greatest two-year-old ever pro-
duced, How could the colt help flying with
such strains mingling in his blood? Licking
ton, through Capitoa; King Tom through
Great Tom; Bonnie Scotland, through Black
burn, himself the sire
just picture that Belle Meade sale q year
ago. There were two score of yearlings as fine
as split silk, each Gagged in his box stall. The
immense inclosed court full of buyers from
every famous stable in the country, among
them poor Sam Bryant, impoverished by the
turf, but patient and hopeful, studying each
colt in the hope of getting prize. At length
he fixes on a big, raw-boned youngster that
nobody else seems to care for, and he picks
him up at $3.50. That was sixteen months
ago. Already the cheap colt has won for him
E78,5O0 in five raceS-has made the fastest
three-quarters ever made at two years. and
could be sold today for 100000. And what
effect this will have on Belle Meadel Black
burn colts at next Mays sale will be worth
their weight in silver.
THE BIGGEST STAKES IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
BY the way, do you know how the FLU
turity" stakes, which Knott has just won, are
made up?
here IS the plan: when mare IS bred to
stallion on the farm the owner can enter the
unborn colt for the Futurity stake by sending
on So; then the produce of each mare, unless
declared out by July 18th in the year they are
yearlings, pays $50 more, and each colt that
starts in the race pays $3.50 more. The Sleeps
head Bay people put up $4,000 nucleus
for their Futurty stakes for this year AS the
breeding season of 1885 came on about 900
mares were entered, witch added ST 800 to the
stakes. Every breeding farm from Vermont
TO California was represented Colonel Milton
Young entered eighty mares for his farm
alone. AS the July declarations comes on
another large sum was added, about $4,000.
and so tho purse grew until the final payments
OF $3.50 to start in the race were paid.
OF the 1000 unborn colts originally entered
only fourteen came to the post All the others
had fallen out for one cause or another. When
the final payments were made the stakes
amounted to S93,375-a vast sum TO be staked
on dash Of three quarters of a mile, to be run
in about IS seconds 1t is said a million dol
lsrs changed hands on the result and 10000
people witnessed the race.
And a happy farm Belle Meade is now.
The loving anxiety OF General Jackson follows
he Belle Meade youngsters wherever they
run, on American or on English turf. Before