The Osceola times., 1881-11-05
snaiIs.

The great vine snail has quite his
tory, and its lease of life should be a
long one, if that may be measured by the
powers Of endurance. In l77l the men,
bers Of the ROYAL society in England
could not be brought TO believe an Irish
collector, who averred that certain white
snails that had been confined for fifteen
years came out of their shells upon HE
sons putting them in hot water; but the
possibility of the thing was proved in
1850 when, after four years somnolence
in the British museum, an Egyptian
desert snail woke up, none the worse for
its long rest aud abstinence IL fed
heartily on lettuce leaves, and lived for
two years longer, Spallanzain asserted
that he had often behcaded snails with
out killing them, and in a few months
they were as lively as ever, having grown
new heads in retirement
Snail-eatiDg has been in vogue for
many centuries, and was considered
by the ancient Romans one of their
table Injuries. In Pliny's time Barbary
snails stood first in repute, those in
Sicily ranking next; and il was the GUS
tom to falten them for the table by diet
ing them on meal and new wine. In
modern Rome fresh gathered snails are
hawked from door to door by women
who boil them in their shells, stew them
or fry them in oil. Snails are gathered
of the vines by the peasantry in the
wine district OF France, and are sent up
in cases and wicker baskets TO Paris halls,
where they are sold by auction, and are
purchased by people who make it their
business to prepare them for the restau-
rants and charCutiers. They are killed
by being placed in scalding water and
after being removed from their shells by
the aid of a piece of wire, are thrown iu-
TO an immense copper and boiled for
three quarters of an hour IN q mixture
composed OF water, vinegar, salt and
herbs. They are then replaced in their
shells, the mouths of which are closed
with butter and parsley, and are ready
for sale. To prepare them ior the table,
IL sutlices TO place them in the fIyingpan
for few minutes with small piece Of
butter, and without removing them from
their shells. They are sold at the wine
shops and charcutiers at thirty and forty
centimes the dozen.
A century ago some 100000 of snails
were annually exported from Ulm in
Gags" of 10000. fetching from twenty
five 10 forty forms Gag In the
TyrOl youngsters of both sexes are en-
ployed' during the summer months col
lecting snails as stock for small gardens
small plats of land cleared of trees and
covered with heaps of moss and pine
twigs, separated from each other by
moais, having gratings at their outlets
to prevent any truants that may get into
the water from being carried beyond
bounds. The prisoners are supplied
daily with fresh grass and cabbage leaves
until their appettes fail and they retire
into the moss heaps for their winter
sleep-the last one they will enjoy; for
when spring comes they are routed out
oi their beds, packed in straw lined
boxes, and sent on to market. In a
favorable season one of these gardens
will turn out 10000 snais. The CON
sumption OF them in South Tyrol must
be great. Snails are often used, boiled
in milk, for diseases of the lungs. and
are sent to this country as a delicacy,
they are very indiscriminate in their ap.
petite, and even dcvUur the dead of their
own kind. Snails delight in warm moist
weather; in dry weather their chief time
OF activity is in the night, and they hide
themselves by day; but after rain they
come forth at any hour in quest of food
/ At the approach of winter or in very
dry weather, they close the month o.
the sheil with q membrane formed by
| the drying Of the mocus substance which
! they secrele and become inactive and
torpid.