Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1894-12-27

binations. Naturally his interest in
agriculture has attracted much atten-
ton throughout this section. People
who at first regarded his purchases of
land and his plan with envious eyes
now speak of him in the highest terms.
They perceive how much benefit his
experiment will be to agriculturists
generally. as well as to the lovers of
good roads. since he has ample means
to carry out these experiments on the
broadcast and most comprehensive basis.
The general name for the Vanderbilt
estate is "Biltmore. A drive two
miles on the main road leading south
of Asheville brings the visitor to the
boundary of the property, which is the
Swannanoa river. Crossing the bridge
you see long dirty-looking shed of a
building. with no sign to indicate that
it is the general Office of the estate
where a dozen clerks are employed.
Back of it is large plant for making
brick. 1t is equipped with modern
presses, dryers, etc. and furnishes all
the brick used in building the mansion.
while millions are sold in Asheville and
vicinity. All of the clay for the brick
is dug at Biltmore and hauled TO the
works on steam tramway four miles
long. This and a standard guage rail-
way seven miles in length traverse the
property. every foot of each being
laid on lands owned by Geor6e w.
Vanderbilt. Passing the brick works
YOU come to the BiltmOre farming
district At present fourteen hun
bred acres are under cultlva-
ton. divided into six farms,
each in charge of foreman or farm
boss with four or five negro hands.
The land is selected from fertile parts
of the estate and is in different sec
tions, the parts nearest the approach
to the estate being the largest. The
farm furthest from this particular
piece is eight miles distant. 1t is the
intention to increase the farm acreage
until it will comprise five thousand
acres. making one of the largest agri-
cultural properties in America, to feed
the largest number of cattle, horses,
etc.
Special attention is being given TO
fodder which is growing on twelve
hundred acres. What is known as fod-
der or ensilage plants are being plant
ed extensively as an experiment. Su-
perintendent d Allings believes they
can be grown successfully in place Of
timothy and other kinds of hay, which
are failure in this as well as many
other parts of the south. The alfalfa,
teosinta and lathyryus silvestris, the
latter European production, are new
kinds of fodder plants which have
been raised successfully. They are
used in ensilage of which seven
hundred tons have already been
made this season. Corn, rye, wheat
and oats are the principal cereal
crops, while on twenty-acre
garden patch are grown asparagus,
peas. beets, lettuce, onions, berries
and variety of other vegetables, all
of which find ready sale in the Ashe-
Vile market, wher not consumed at
home. The most modern methods OF
agricultural are employed and the best
utensils Mules furnish most of the
hauling power. Fertilizers are used
abundantly, while all the dead leaves
etc. are mixed into a compost, which
also serves TO manure the land. AS a
result the yield of corn to the acre last
year was ffty-fve bushels, of rye, fif-
teen; wheat was twenty-five to thirty
five. and oats. forty.
Stock raising is TO be feature at
Biltmore At present one hundred and
sixty horses, principally draught ami
mails. twenty grade Jersey and other
cows, two hundred Southdown sheep,
one hundred and ten Berkshire pigs,
about forty heifers, four imported
bulls and a ely desdale Percheron stall
lion are in the stoclyard; also stocks
Of Toulouse geese, Pekin ducks, bronze