New-York tribune., 1874-09-11
THE EPIOURE'S ALLIES.
ARTIFICIAL BREEDING OF TERRAPN.

, CURIOUS EXPERIMENT TO sUPPLY THE MARKET
FROM PLEASURE BAY INSTEAD OF TEXAS.
Terrapin is one Of the luxuries OF the table
In this city; yet person aware OF the dieuy
N getting full supply in order to satisfy inc demand
NJ the market Those who catch terrapn have 10 huns
for them as far south as Galveston, Texas although
Savannah Ga and Charleston, 8 c., furnish supplies
Bome very ne terrapiD caught in the chesapeake
Bay but very them come TO this Market as tney
are eagerly purchased at Baltimore where they nave
been sold high as per Dozen In order 10 get any
thing like supply for the NewYork market leading
wholesale fish dealer found 1t necessary, several years
ago. 10 lay In q stock during the Summer ct which time
In consequence OF voracty the terrapin are more
basily caught than to wait for Winter when they lie
dormant in the mud and sand at the bottom OF the
water and consequently not so easily found AS IL
was necessary to preserve the terrapin alive, he
caused large pen be constructed on the shore OF
Pleasure Bay near Long Branch. This pen is about 100
feet square, constructed with fence Of plaDking
inches wide q inches thick and OF ordinary length
These panks were driven into the sand and mud
DO as twobirds OF the incosure under water
with about feet OF at the deepest part The DOT
tom and shore was arcaly constructed so as to give
IL gradual SLOPE and the shore was MADE OF wnte sea
sand while the bed pen composedof ordinary
sea sand three four years past the
fsh dealer stored his terrapn, sometimes having as
many as terrapn in the at tme The mar
row spaces between the planks allowed the water al
the life Of shell fish, About two years ago the proprietor
OF the pen noticed terrapn In the habit OF
laying their eggs In the white sand on the shore OF the
pen such the nature Of the place that the eggs
were continually being destroyed through one terrapin
digging up the eggs laid by another and from other
causes. IT, while digging hole TO lay Its own eggs one
terrapin upon those OF another, II would be almost
certain 10 break SHE'LL and then the contents would
be eaten rapacous they. Again. tthe very high
tides the of the bay would cover the whole bed
and shore OF the inclosure and the eggs would also DC
destroyed in that manner they will not hatch atter
having been soaked with water. The few that we're
hached out from among the several thousand eggs that
had been laid by the terrapn were almost instantly
destroyed by the and larger animals Immediately
upon the young terrapins attempting to reach the
water; consequently nothing resulted from the laying
OF the eggs and the expectations OF the pro-
prietOr pen bghted. He had observed, now
ever fact which afterwards became useful, namely,
depOsitDg the the parent terrapln cared
nothing for them, leaving the process OF Matching
10 DO done by the warmth OF the earth and the sun
and the idea was suggested that with proper attention
and observation artificial breeding place for terrapin
might be constructed aud be attended with success
Watching the terrapin while they were laying eggs.
he ascertaned that If the were laid too near the
surface of the sand the heat of the would dry them
up and render them entirely heless Tho terrapn with
its feet generally digs hole nearly as deep as its
body is long, and having deposited the egg, nils up the
hole again When the egg hatched the young terrapn
scratches the surface. and then seeks the
water In order therefore, make the artificial breeding
successful these eggs had first to be from in
fury The enerprsng proprietor hrefore constructed
about year ago secohu pen On ,hnD nv
inland aud marshy ground. This pen Is ABOUT
40 feet square, and has "a sluice or dlteh Wnlcn
allows the water OF the bay to run In and ouI ana YET
always leaves depth Of six feet of water In the IN
closure the deepest part This pen was aiso con-
shelving bed and shore and onethird OF
The ncosure so ARRANGED that lt consisted Oh HIy
seasaud The sandy shore OF the larger pen was then
raked daily and the eggs were taken rom tue niulns
places Wth htte delay possible these eggs were
transferred 10 the second pen ana theh ~ Iegu
lar rows the depth OF the length of fulslzed
tefrapins body. When The TRIBUNE reporter visited
this breedlug pen. shore resembled sandy garden
spot In which gdrcener had Deen piAnting Dulos Vt
seeds and had marked the spots Win nltle SUCKS Al
and the was very anxious 10 the
his experiment At ABOUT the esnnlng oil sop
one evening he was aroused by an attendant VINO In
formed him that the mad begun u hatch out Win
"a lantern visited place. and there saw that the
Young teTapin had taken 10 the water, where tney
SsoHiI remain uudIsturbed as no other shell fish had
eeen placed therein. The young terrapn appeared TO
De healthy and other eggs were natcneu
ut each day added TO tnelr number. The proprietor
has eudeavOred make proper provision Tor the pro
lection tie young terrapin unrhg the winter ana
they safely pass through source Of production
viii have been discovered that may make in time this
harbor pOiu Of terTapin supply instead OF terraph
it has been estimated by several persons that terra
pin requires about in which to mature but
The proprietor of the artificial Oreedlngpens believes
that he will be compensated for his laOors much sooner
no intends next year to adopt the same course as
during past sumner in order to prevent next sum
Iners batcEng from being destroyed by that OF tins
Summer inland pen is 10 be constructed, on the
OF which VIII be planted as many eggs as can be
obtained. Tho OF this third pen VIII greatly de-
pend the Attending tue work OF tho past sum
mer The prospect OF immediate return for the out
lay Is very remote indeed but II the enterprise as
successful Ga" nrst attempt gives promise Oi there Is
very little doubt but that In few years continual
supply OF terrapin be obtained without fishermen
being compelled 10 hunt for tnem AS Tar away as Texas
Tue larger teTralu pen presented very curious spec
tacle at OF the reporters visit Summer Is the
feeding lime OF the terrapln, and they are generally
very vOTaciOus. Fish, clans. ana craOs supplied
them food. ana the throwing or a single crab
the the water enough to bring
two three hundred OF the creatures out upon the
shore Moving the hand two or three tunes through the
brought ut least hundred heads to the surface.
TINS from the fact that they had become quite
used plan being fed queny little trouble
was experienced IN catching some or these curious
looking creatures As the 1904 they appear most to
enjoy be- easily IN the vicinity, the cost OF main
tanng the pens has been aud will still be- comparatively
small while the revenue, should the scheme prove
moderately successful, Will be great good fat
terrapn VIII easily bring in this market from S5 TO SIS
per dozen aud ready sale always De obtained for
eyery that be raised.