The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1899-05-13
The Belle Meade Farm.

/ CItN- lHe lulIONln8 interesting description
of visit TO the celebrated Belle Meade
farm. near Nashville, Tenn.
Sixteen Confederate veterans agreed
it would be good thing to take in the
most celebrated farm in all the south and
as far as we know, in the world. We pro
cured an elegant four horse carriage, which
was filled with representatives from
North Carolina, Georgia, Texas and Ar
kansas. and started for the farm on Rich
mond creek. between six and seven miles
from Nashville The road is fine, well
macadamized, built and owned by Gen.
| w II. Jackson, proprietor of the farm.
He has twenty miles of road, over which
he charges toll There are several elegant
dwellings aud nicely cultivated farms on
the way. and much of the road Is well
shaded The principal trees by the road
side are black locust and sycamore The
winding drives through the lawn, surround
ing the dwelling, are very fine. When we
reached the farm, several carriages filled
with ladies aud gentleman had preceded us;
We also saw quite number of wheels
banked under the shade Of tree, showing
the ubiquitous cycle will even dare to
enter the enclosure of the most renowned
racers Of the blue grass region. pom in
quiry we learned the farm embraces 81
600 acres. Five hundred acres are en-
closed with a rock fence Il feet high, on
top Of which Is placed iron posts with wire
fence-total height, | o feet. In this in
closure between 400 and 500 deer are
kept. Such herd reminds one Of the
stories told BY the early settlers Of this
country We failed to learn whether this
deer park Is kept solely for pleasure or
whether il l. also laid under tribute to swell
the revenues Of the farm. At any rate,
il Is 4 very important feature, aud quite
romantic We took a survey Of some Of
the finest horses, all thoroughbrods. There
are nine stations, each one kept in a stable
and paddock entirely separate, with suf-
ficient room fer exercise. These horses
are held at fabulous prices. Running on
the pastures are log brood mares, 81
sucking colts. 80 one year-old colts, ! s
two year old fllies, 81 yearling colts now
in New York for sale One hundred and
thirty Shetland ponies also find pasturage
and care on this wonderful farm, We saw
- mich COWS, chiefly Jerseys. twas the
hour q milking. in the afternoon, when
We inspected the milking Each COW was
in it, stall, rs the dairymen around Char
lutte have theirs When we entered the
barn aud saw how clean aud nice every
thing was we regretted not having taken
our two Meeklenburg girls-Misses julia
Alexander and Adele BrenEer-along 10
SEE the wonders contained on Gen. Jack
son farm The floor Of the stalls Is the
same as our sidewalks-eement-- the
incline Is sufficient to be easily flooded with
water and swept clean after each milk
ing. which refuse l. at once thrown on
compost heap. The stables, or stalls, are
as clean as any dwelling, entirely free from
. all unpleasant odor On these cattle pas
I lures arc seen ten bulls and an indefinite
I number of heifer calves. All male calves
are destroyed Immediately after birth, not
being sufficiently valuable to pay for rais-
+ ing
Two large barns are occupied by the
milk cows Five negro men do the milk
+ ing and consume one hour and a half each
/ time Two more men assist in attending
! the cattle-seyen in all One barn Is oc
cupied 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,
aud all the feed necessary for their keeping,
except oats. is raised on the farm, We
now leave the barns and 80 to the milk
house OF dairy. This is u semi basement: :
the house Is built on hillside The floor
is Of cement; large basins aud troughs made
Of cement, delightfully."- cool, hold water in
great abundance, in which the brightest
tinware Is placed to hold the cream. Two
90 gallon churns in place, to churn the
milk driven BY mule power. One large
refrigerator 10 hold the butter. 1t is i'm
possible to have 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 (average) per day, which
Yields 90 pounds of butter, which sells at
81 cents per h. Average sale of butter
milk per day 200 gallons, at 10 cents per
/ gallon. No sweet milk is sold We ask
ed: Do you feed no milk to the hogs ?
she said Not hog on the farm.
How long have you been in charger
Answer-'Seven years. Come to the
door, said she. See that pretty house?
Yes. | see it. Well, the General built
that house for us, and we have it free of
rent. found that there exists strong
attachment by the employees for their en-
ployeI, among both whites and blacks.
There are employed 20 stablemen and I
cattlemen These all get their board and
Sl5 per month Thirty five families live
on the farm, furnishing so farm hands
-Four moving machines are kept busy
during the busy season, two reapers and
binders, one steam thresher, one steam silo
cutter, one steam grain mill All grain
fed to stock is first ground. Ten men are
employed to bread 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 s per foot.
Rock pillars for gates costs SIS per gate.
Some time ago Mr.. Croker, of New York,
bought half interest in the horse depart
ment paying $3.50, 600. He employs
General Jackson on salary of $40, 0OO
per year to look after his interest in the
horse farm. Munchausen's fiction does
not appear so strange as the truth to Belle
Meade farm