The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-09-07
THE BELLE MKADE FARM.


Dr.. J. B. Alexander, of Charlotte,
has written the, 0 oserver g. description
OF the celebrated Belle Meade stock
farm, near Nashville. DR.. Alexander
says:
The farm embraces 81 O40 acres.
Five hundred acres are incIosed with a
rock fence four and half feet high, on
cop Of which is placed iron posts with
wire fence total height, ten feet In
this iuclosure between 400 and 500 deer
are kept.
1--WE took g survey OF some Of the
finest horses, all thoroughbreds. There
are nine stations, each one kept in g
stable and paddock entirely separate,
With sufficient room for exercise. These
horses are held So fabulous prices. Run
ming On the pastures are 169 brood
mares, 81 s1ckling colts, 40 one yeer.
old colts. 18 two-year-oId fillies, 50
yearling colts now in New York for
s2le. One hundred and thirty Shetland
ponies also fad pasturage and care on
this wonderful farm. We saw 95 mich
cows, chie fly Jerseys. L5 wes the hour
Of milking, in the afternoon, when we
inspected the milking. The floor of
the stalls is the same as cur sidewalks
cement and the incline is eUff1 lent
to be easily flooded with water and
Bept clean after each milking, which
refusa is ct once thrown on q compost
heap The stables, or stalls. are as
clean as any dwelling, entirely free
free from all unpleasant oder. On
these cattle pastures are seen ten bulls
and en- indefinite numbec of heiter
calves. All male calves are destroyed
Immediately af6er birth, not being suh
GENTLY valuable to pay for raising.
1.-TWO large barns are occupied by
the milk COWS. Five negro men do
the milking, and consume one hour
and half each time. Two more men
assist in attending the cattle-seven in
all. One barn is coupled exclusively
with mules that do the farm work.
These mules are all bought; not one is
raised on the farm.
Twenty seven barns are for the
horses, and all the feed necessary for
their keeping, except oats, is raised on
the farm. We now leave the barns
and go to the milk house or dairy. This
is a semi basement; the house is built
on hillside. The floor is of cement;
large basins and troughs made of
cement, delightfully."- cool, hold water
in great abundance, in which the
brightest tinware is placed to hold the
cream. Two 60 gallon churns in place,
to churn the milk, driven by mule
power. One large refrigerator to hold
the butter. It is impossible to have a
nicer or sweeter place on earth than
this dairy. Mr.. and Mrs. Tucker have
charge of this department, and gave
this information, viz They churn 200
gallons (>veragtO per day, which yields
ninety pounds of butter, which sells at
81 cents per pound. Average sale of
butseEmilk per day 200 gallons, at ten
cents per gallon. No sweet milk is
sold.
II found that there exists strong
attachment by the employees for their
employer, among both whites and
blacks. There are employed twenty
six stablemen and seven cattIemen.
These all get their board and $15. per
month. Thirty FIVE families live on
the farm, furnishing fifty farm hands
-Four moving machines ere kept
busy during the busy season, two
reapers and binders, and one steam
shreeher, one steam silo cutter, one
steam grain mill. All grain fed to
stock is first ground. Ten men are
employed to break rock to keep the
roads in repair. We failed to find the
amount of rock fence On the farm, but
it must be very considerable, and
cost 81 per foot. Rock pillars for gates
cost SIS per gate.