St. Paul daily globe., 1894-08-19

four or i've negro hands. The land is
selected from fertile parts OF the estate,
aud i In different sections, the part
nearest the approach to the estate being
the largest. The farm furthest from
this particular piece is eight miles dis
tant. Mr.. Vanderbilt intends to in
crease the farm acreage until II shall
comp rise fully 5000 acres, making one
o. the largest agricultural properties in
America.
1900 Acres of Fodder.
Special attention is being given fod-
der which Is growing OIL 1900 acres.
What is known as fodder or ensilage
plants are being planted extensively as
an experiment. Supt. Allings believes
they can be grown successfully in place
of timothy and other kinds of hay,
which are failure in this as we'll as
many other parts of the South. The
alfalfa. teusinta and lathyruS silvertris.
The latter European production. are
new kinds of fodder plants which have
been raised successfully. They are used
In ensilage, of which 100 tons have al
ready been made this season. Corn, rye.
wheat and oats were 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
ind ready sale in the Ashville market,
when not consumed at home. The most
modern methods of agriculture are en-
Joyed and tue best utensils. Mules fur
nIsh most of the hauling power. Fer
tiliZers are used abundantly, while all
the dead leaves. ETC., are naked into a
compost, which also serves to manure
the lard. AS result, the yield of corn
TO the acre last year was 30 bushels: of
rye, Is; wheat was 25 to 30 and oats 40.
Stock raising is to be a. feature at
Blltm0re. AT present 100 horses, prln-
clpally draught animals. 20 grade Jersey
ana others cows, 200 Southdown sheep,
ITO Berkshire pigs, about 40 heifers,
imported bulls and Clydesdale Per-
chrron stallion are in the stockyard;
also stocks. of Toulouse geese, Pekin
ducks, bronze turkeys and Brahma
chickens. A hen house to cost $1,000,
with artificial hatchery, nests and other
special features, Is 10 be built In the
near future. For raising trotting and
road horses Vanderbilt intends securing
several Russian and French stations.
The dairy farm is one Of the most i'm
portant sources OF revenue from the
estate. The mich cows average eight
quarts per day, and supply all the
hotels and most Of the boarding houses
in Asheville. The receipts from the
sale 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 land
lady is not slow in informing the visitor
that 1--WE get orr milk from Mr.. Wander
bilt's farm"
The BIue-BlOoded "Boss.',
Baron AlIings, who draws the modest
little sum of $500 per year as Mr..
Vanderbilt's farm superintendent, is an
interesting character. He is a finely
built man of, say, fifty, with military
carriage and an iron gray mustacte.
His broken English reminds one of a
Frenchman rather than German, He
is member Of the Asheyille club, where
the visitor often finds him about the
middle OF the day smoking cigarettes or
playing q game of cards. He Is well
read, well bred and rides a fine blooded
horse like man who has been accus-
toned to the saddle all his lite. When
the owner of Blimore engaged the
baron he owned a small farm near
Ashevilie. He gets most of his ideas
from books, aud acknowledges that he
knew nothing of agriculture until he
came to this country ten years ago.
Little Mr. Wand rbiIt.
Any one going toward the mansion at
Biltmore before the sun is well up in
the moaning or during the cool of the
evening may chance to meet two men
in a road cart or buggy. One is eYi-
IDENTITY al English groom. The other is
small man of light complexion, with
side whskers, whose face looks as if he
suffered from dyspepsia. He is attired
III gray sack suit, with dark four.in-
hand tie. turned collar and dark brown
over his roads.
He is 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 we'll as
rock and stone for road formation. The
result of these experiments, as well as
those of agriculture, are freely fur
nished to all inquirers and put to prac-
tical use at Bitmore. The result is
that already around the mansion aud
at Biltmore forest are ten miles of fine
driveway as can be found in the vicin-
ity of New York city. But before the
improvements are completed this
length will be increased to fully fifty
miles. Macadamized stone, gravel,
ashes and clay are the principal SUBJ.
stances used.
While examining the forest road one
cannot help wondering at the improve
ments to the forest proper, which COM
prises 1l,000 acres. Dead trees have
been cut away. the underbruSh is being
taken of, vlStaS made at different points
where a superb view is afforded, and
other work is being done which will
finally convert this place into a vast
park similar to those found at so many
English country places. Over 100 men
have been busy with AK and hatchet,
and what was formerly a mountain
wilderness now presents wonderfully
changed appearance. Game and birds
are being placed in the forest for hunt
ing purposes, bnt the greatest game
preserve will be OH the side of Mount
PlSgah, portion Of which Mr.. Wander
bilt owns. This will be stocked with
bear and deer, and will form truly
"sportSmen's paradise"
Such. briefly, is the way Mr.. Wander
bilt is exercising his taste in the Blue