The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-01-01
DUCKS AND TERRAPINS.

| Everybody, says the Baltimore Sun. has
heard Of Chesapeake canvas. back ducks
and diamond back terrapins. and a great
many people know something of how they
taste when served up for the table, but not
great many are acquainted with the MAIL
| ner i'll which they are handled by the deal
ers in those and other famed gaStronomic
| Injuries. There is an establishment in
| Baltimore which has been fitted up eSpeci-
ally FOR this trade, where canvas backs and
| all kinds Of game are kept by the thous-
ands i'll apartments where the temperature
remains at IS deg. above zero, and where
| terrapins in multitudes live and grow fat
| on nothing. There are five large closets
| on the premises built III the walls, similar
| to bank wants, aud these by scientific pro-
ccSseS are arranged TO keep the interior at
d very low temperature, but the use of ice,
but III a different manner from the freezing
process of a refrigerator. In one of these
| the canvas backs and other wild game are
kept perfectly fresh III another there are
all varieties of fish. incluling shad from
Savannah, white fish flom the lakes, rock
and perch from the Chesapeake tributaries.
and blue-fish, paddock, and Goldfish from
the North. In another closet the smaller
and more common fish are kept, and all of
the closets are filled with some of the
past shipments of canvas backs by the bar
rel have been made to London, Liverpool,
and to Paris by steamships from New York
and Baltimore. The fowls are taken from
the cold closets, and when on board the
steamers are put in ico and reach their
destinations in excellent condition. Oys-
tiers in barrels are also sent to Europe. the
oysters being packed with sea weed and
corn meal. But the most novel feature of
the house is the terrapin department"
This room is kept warm, and the terrapins
luxurate in !ir-tight chests, each from five
to ten bushels capacity. These are packed
full Of terral ms, which number many hun
dreds in the aggregate. The most of them
are of the Chesapeake diamond back .
variety, and all are at least seven inches
across the under shell, that being the
measurement which the terrapin must
reach before, in the opinion of the epicure,
it is fitted for the table. There are also
kept in some of the chests hundreds of
"slider" or "rcd fender" tcrrarins. a
fresh water variety, chiefly from the James
river.
The habits of the terrapin have been
made a study by this dealer. He keeps
them in his air-tight chests without food
and says they not only exist deprived of
air, but grow TAI. and if kept in the chest
for six months will each weigh four or six
ounces more than when first put in. If
the terrapins are allowed to have liberty or
free air, even iii the most limited space
they become very poor, as they seem to
draw sustenan0e from themselves but do
not take food. All the terrapnS in the
chests are enjoying vigorous existence, as
proved by their movements when the lids
were raised. The terrapins are principally
sold to hotel keepers, and to be served up
at extra .iunketings, and bring about $24
dozen. During the terrapin season of 1874
one house in Baltimore sold a thousand
dozen.