The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1875-08-11

TURTLE SoUP.-We clip the follow
ing from an exchange:
LONG BRANCH, July 25.-One Of the sights
at Pleasure Bay, attracting the attention OF
most pai,pIe who drive to that nearby resort,
is a turtle pen wherein the ordinary small
turtles -terTapinS- hatched and grown
for the New York market The pen is
large square enclosure, with about o.thirds
of the area under water, and the rest sandy
beach. It now contains seven thousand tur-
ties. and in the sand are eggs estimated 70
number thirty thousand. If the visitor ap-
proaches silently on sunShiny day, upon
peering cautiously over the fence he sees an
odd spectacle. The unsnbmefged space ID
the pen IS so thickly covered with turtles sun
ming themselves that only a little Of the white
sand is left in sight. They are as inert as
stones unless disturbed, but the slightest noise
fsightens them. Then ladicrously grotesque
scene ensues. The turtles start in a mass tor
the water, and their gait is as comicat as the
eambols of hippopotamus. They jostle each
other, stretch out their long necks and attain
surprising rate of speed. At the edge of the
water they tumble In With q succession OF
splashes, like a scattering volley,- and SOON
seven thousand heads are projected above the
sulSace They, seem to float without exer.
ton, bnt are lazy IN their movements. Their
serpent-!ike heads and beadish eyes, their
bodies being out Of sight, give the pond the
appearance Of E1ihing mass of SNAKES.
A raft in the centre Of the pen slowly BE-
comes covered, and after while the turtles
begin to return to the sand.
The turtles with which this pen was orgl-
nally stocked were brought from Texas, out
subsequent breeding made further supply
Il
their eggs in the sand, where the heat Of tne
sun sudices to hatch them, The young tur-
ties are removed to smaller pen as soen as
they are out of their shells, and q pool pro
vides for them the requisite water. Netting
is drawn over this pen as protection
against cats, who dnd young turtle suited to
their taste. Cats thus bafded may often be
seen sitting On the posts of the enclosure,
looking lougingly down upon the Gnattalna-
BILE delicacy. The turtles when half grown
are transferred to the larger pen. Theirfood
is live fish, which are put into water: IN large
numbers The turtles grow slowly, and at
tain size of about ten inches long by! seven
wide. Then they are sent alive to the~NeW
York market, to go finally into the popular
soup and steaks. To most palates they are
not distinguishable from the larger Key west
turtles. The producer realizes for then'9rom
twelve to eighteen dollars dozen.
Cannot we5 have turtle farm in
Newberrys We know an enterprising
citizen who has given us turtle soup for
"a long "a rfnlg at great expense. Wegive
him this hint Terapins would feel
just as much at home here as they
would: at Long Branch; and more so,
they are a southernproduction. Those
at Long Branch were imported from
Texas. Broad River had been stocked
with salmon; their natural afectionwill
bring them back to Marshall's. Let
our friend Speck construct a terrapin
pond and the epicures of this place will
be made happy-unless they are editors
or Methodist preachers, they Of course
prefer-you know what. .....