The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-03-16
V~ANDERBILT'S HERDS
HE Is PLANNING TO MAKE A MODEL
DAIRY FARM AT BILTMORE.
Owing to the Action of the New York
tie at a Bargain-Hfs Plans.

North Carolina, where they have already
been cared for in one of the finest stables
ever built. In a few days they will be set
free in the valleys upon Mr.. vanderbilt's
estate. to get the first cropping OF the rich
blue grass which grows thereabouts.
The bargain was made almost upon the
instant, and 1t was negotiated over a long
distance TELEPHONE which connected Phila-
delphia with the Pittsford farm, near
Rochester, ". Y. In Philadelphia Mr.. Van
derbilt's manager was found. He was asked
over the telephone IL Mr.. Vanderbilt wanted
to buy the Pittsford herd. He replied that
Mr.. Vanderbilt did. provided the herd was
all right, and then took the next train 10
Rochester. the following day concluded the
bargain. and the day after put 125 Jersey
cattle aboard the train and shipped them
direct to Biltmore.
Bat for the action Of the State Board OF
Health and the confirmation of its action
by the Court of Appeals this famous herd
would have been kept in New York. AS 1t
is, its owner is the third of the five owners
of great herds of Jerseys in New York State
to give up fancy dairy farming, and very
likely the other two will follow that exam
pie before long. One of these herds is
famous, not only for the very fine quality Of
the stock. but because it is owned by Gov.
Morton. The Governors farm is called the
Ellerslie farm, and its products command
the highest price in the New York city
market. The Ellerslie brand for milk and
butter has been a valuable trade mark. but
the action Of a board of which Governor
Morton himself, as the chief executive Off
Ger of the State. is practically the official
head, has been such as to make 1t doubtful
whether this value will be maintained very
long.
A score or more of these COWS were killed
by order Of the State Board of Health,
culosis test which this Board of Heath es-
tablished. Our State law provides that
when cattle are killed because they are
suspected Of containing tuberculosis germs
then the Court Of Claims may appraise the
value and pay for those which have been
killed in accordance with this appraisal.
Court of Claims declared that a COW was a
COW, whether a Jersey or an ordinary
barnyard specimen, and that $50 was a fair
appraisal for any one animal. Some OF
these COW the Governor would not have
sold for $500 apiece, and one or two were
bringing him an income which, by the or
binary rules of business, would fix the mar
ket value of them at over $1,000. Yet for
those which were killed. about twenty in
all, the Governor received 500, and, worse
than that, his dairy farm received such a
setback as to make Ii doubtful whether 1t
will be maintained.
A DAIRY MAN QUITS.
Mr.. Shepard Tappin. whose farm is in the
vicinity of Troy. has possessed for some
years a Jersey herd whose reputation Is al
most as great with European fancy herds
men as it is in this country. The State
Board of Health suspected tuberculosis in
some of Mr.. Tappin's Jerseys, and proceed
ed to inject tuberculine into their veins
and then to apply the thermometer. Mr..
Tappin could only protest. He declared
that the very act of injection would be
likely, especially with an animal OF such
nervous organization as is characteristic OF
Jersey catt.e, to raise the temperature.
But the State Board of Health is auto
cratic in its powers, and the thermometer,
showing that the temperature of the cattle
had been raised more than three degrees,
pronounced them infected and ordered
them killed: That Viii ruin the fancy
One of the largest If not the largest herd
of Jersey cattle was that which until this
week grazed upon the Pittsford farm. The
herd was owned by Frank w. Hawley, and
at one time numbered as many as $50 cattle.
1t was a famous herd, and some of its stock
were numbered among the world-beaters
Such a one was kathrine of Plttsford, which
was exhibited at the worlds fair, and en-
tered the worlds butter test, which was con-
tinued for thirty days: In that test she won
one of the highest prizes, both for quantity
and quality of her butter. This COW was
valued at s., 400 on an estimate based upon
the profit which she yielded Mr.. Hawley, fig
$s5 for her from the State. and her
carcass was taken to Barren island to be
rendered into grease. The State Board of
among aaw Mr.. Hawley.s herd. infected
tuberculine into the veins of Kathrine twice.
One of those tests she did not respond to.
After she was thus tagged she had a
heifer calf, which was sold not long ago for
IN V premiums afu That calf never revealed the
symptoms of tuberculosis. Another
famous animal in this herd was Jefferson III,
which received one of the high premiums at
the worlds fair, and also won $1,000 in pre-
miums at agricultural fairs. But this splen-
did animal was said to be taken with tuber-
the State Mr.. Hawley received the other day
$50. One hundred and thirty-four of his herd
were pronounced infected, were killed and
These cattle cost Mr.. Hawley $50. 600. When
the decision was made by the Court of APP
confirming the appraisal of the Court
telephone, called up Mr.. George Vanderbilt's
and closed with him the bargain
by which the rest of the herd, about 125 cat
tie, have been sent to Mr.. VanderbiltS place
vANDERBILTs PLANS.
The purchase of this Jersey herd by George
Vanderbilt was the first animation that had
been received here of Mr.. Vanderbilt's in
tention to go into dairy farming on a large
scale. He did not at first intend to do this.
HIS plan as he originally conceived it was to
build among the mountains. where the view
is as grand probably as any that can be OBJ
tanned east of the Rocky mountains. a home
as beautiful as architectural skill could make
il, which would be surrounded by grounds
treated IN accordance with the suggestions
of the ablest landscape gardeners. In addi-
ton 10 that, Mr.. Vanderbilt proposed a great
forestry park, where that NOBLE science could
be cultivated not only for his own pleasure,
but as a sort OF training school or object
lesson for the people of the United States.
Webb, proposed 10 do the same thing upon
the tract OF many thousand acres which he
owned in the Adirondack regions. But eli
matte and other conditions make one kind
of forestry possible in the Adirondacks AMI
another kind in the uplands of western
these two schools of forestry would be able
to teach all that was necessary to know re-
specting the cultivation and preservation of
timber IN that part Of the United States
which is east of the Mississippi.
But as Mr.. Vanderbilt went over his great
bearing generous burdens every summer OF
the choicest blue grass. The climate there is
perfect. especially for the tenderer grazing
cattle like the Jerseys. And these two con-
siderations persuaded Mr.. Vanderbilt that 4
would be possible to establish upon these
lands not only the greatest, but the model
dairy farm of the United States. 1t was with
that purpose that he bought Mr.. Hawley's
herd, and his manager has been commission
ed to buy other Jerseys OF the choicest breed
hundred. which is about the capacity of the
grazing lands.
A stable or barn will be erected. following
out in many respects that one which cost