The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-09-01

vile brings the visitor to to boundary OF
the property, which is the Swannanoa
River. Crossing the bridge you see a
long. dirty-loOking shed of 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, &C., 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 standard gauge railway seven miles
in length traverse the property, every foot
of each being laid ON lands owned by Geo.
W. Vanderbilt.
Passing the brick works you come to
the Biltmore farming district. At present
400 acres are under cultivation, 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 sections, the
part nearest the approach to the estate be-
ing 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 fully 5000
acres, making one of the largest agricultural
properties in America to feed the largest
number of cattle, horses, &C.
Special attention is being given fodder,
which is growing on |, 200 acres. What
is known as fodder or ensilage plants are
being planted extensively as an experiment.
Superintendent 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 lathyrus
silvestris, the latter a European production,
are new kinds of fodder plants which have
been raised successfully. They are used
in ensilage of which 700 tons lave already
been made this season. Corn, rye, wheat
and oats are the principal cereal crops,
while on 20-acre garden patch are grown
asparagus, peas, beets, lettuce, onions, ber-
ries and a variety of other vegetables, all
of which find ready sale in the Asheville
market, when not consumed at home. The
most modern methods of agriculture are
employed and the best utensils. Mules
furnish most of the hauling power. Fer,
tilizers are used abundantly, while all the
dead leaves, &c, are mixed into a com
post, which also serves to manure the
land As result the yield of corn to the
acre last year was 90 bushels; of rye, 10;
wheat was % to 35 and oats 40.
Stock raising is to be feature at Bilt-
more. At present 160 horses, principally
draught animals, 20 grade Jersey and other
COWS, 200 Southdown sheep, 10 Berkshire
pigs, about 40 heifers, imported bulls
and a Clydesdale Percheron stallion are in
the stock-yard; also, stocks of Toulouse
geese, Pekin ducks, bronze turkeys and
Brahma chickens. A hen house, to cost
$4,000, with artificial hatchery, nests and
other special features, is to be built in the
near futnre. For raising trotting and road
horses, Mr.. Vanderbilt intends securing
several Russian and French stations. The
dairy farm is one of the most important
scources of revenue from the estate. The
milch COWS average eight quarts per day
and supply all the hotels and most of the
boarding houses in Asheville. The re-
ceipts from the sales of milk alone amount
to 5000 per week. 1t is carried into the
town in canvas-covered wagons with the
words "Biltmore Dairy" on the sides in
large black letters, and the landlord or
landlady is not slow in informing the Wis
itor that "we get our milk from Mr.. Van
derbilt's farm"
Baron Allings, who draws the modest
little sum of 81 800 per year as Mr.. Van
derbilt's farm superintendent, is quite
character. He is finely built man, of
say 80, with military carriage and an iron
gray mustache. His broken English re-
minds one Of Frenchman rather than
German. He is member of the Ashe-
vile Club, where the visitor often finds
him about the middle of the day smoking
cigarettes or enjoying a game of cards. He
is well read, well bred and rides fine
blooded horse like man accustomed to the
saddle all his life. When the owner of
Biltmore engaged the baron he owned
small farm near Asheville. He gets most
of his ideas from books, and acknowledges
that he knew nothing of agriculture until
he came to this country 10 years ago.
Anyone going toward the mansion at
Biltmore before the sun is well up in the
morning or during the cool Of the evening
may chance to meet two men in road cart
or a buggy. One is evidently an English
groom. The other is a small man of light
complexion, with side whiskers, whose face
looks as if he suffered from dyspepsia. He
is attired in a gray sack suit, with dark
four-in-hand tie, turned collar and dark
brown derby. That is Mr.. Vanderbilt
looking over his roads.
He is a firm believer in good roads and
has a laboratory on the estate, where an
expert is employed in finding the best
soils on the place as well as rock and stone
r.