Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-04-14
A TEnHAPrN FARml
senator Gardner's Experiment
In New Jersey-a-Terrapin
Habits.
philadsIphia Tlns. Atllntio CIV 1stt.r.

| All the sportsmen in Atlantic coun
ty acknowledge the skill, experienc
and success OF Senator John J. Gard
ner, OF Atlantic City, with either GU
or rod. He has tracked and shot dee
lin the woods of the neighborhood, an,
some of the finest catches" of fsl
ever made here stand upon his record
! He owns a kennel of well trained dogs
and when the bird season is at it
height it is common sight to NEE
| the burly gentleman threading his wa.
through the meadows in search o
game, and looking like any one elst
but a Senator and statesman. His low
Of sport amounts to enthusiasm. ID
is an authority upon the pecuharitiel
of fish and birds, and his conversation
upon such matters teens with new anC
practical information.
He has Just developed new hobby
/ He is now diving deep into the subject
Of terrapin. Matching, and has prepared
a farm in the meadows not far from
the Inlet, where he is going to try to
raise them. 1t is simply a canal dug
down to low-water mark, about twenty
feet wide, and extending straight from
a small pond into Abseeon Inlet, by
which means it is kept supplied with
ocean water when the tide rises. The
farm or pond comprises an area Of
about two acres of water His expert
ment is original in that the farming is
done right in the native mud of the
diamond back, instead of in uncon-
genial soil, where artificial means
must be employed TO make it adaptable
to the terrapi1. The Senator also says
that he has never yet seen a farm
where the terrapins were Matched, the
so-called farms being merely places TO
keep and fatten them for market. He
purposes to try to raise the native Egg
Harbor terrapin, or diamond back,
directly from the egg. He says he and
DR.. Tom Reed, of this city, who is a
partner in the undertaking, have ex-
perimented a great deal with them,
and they feel quite familiar with their
needs and modes of life.
The terrapin feeds on bay cabbage,
small mussels or minnows, but his
great delieacy is soft shell crabs. Next
to the soft she'll, he will call for dead
hard shell crab, little dried beef,
CLAIMS or oysters. The Senator says be
used to let them get very hungry and
lean and then experiment upon them
with various kinds of food, with the
above mentioned results. But they
are terriably afraid Of live hard
shell crab, and if one is placed in
the water near them they will tod
die away as fast as their feet can carry
them. In about October they 60 into
the mud at high water mark, and it
is said by some weather prophets
that according to the depth they 60 in
to the ground the severity of the win
ter may be presaged. Their usual
depth isabout two feet. They remain
in 3 torpid state until May, when they
emerge from their holes and begin to
make preparation for a summer resi-
dence.
About the LIST of June they lay their
eggs, which are little larger than an
ordinary marble, and are usually in
strings of from fifteen to forty TO each
string, the older COWS laying the most.
The eggs are buried in the sand by the
COWS, and Senator Gardner asserts that
he believes be has made tie discovery
that the principal cause for the small
percentage of eggs that are Matched
is due to tho depredations upon them
by the crows. He says be has watched
the crows, and be is convinced that
they can instantly detect where the
eggs are concealed. He purposes
Matching the eggs of the farm in sand
boxes placed indoors. He states that
the Matching process requires no par
tieular attention. He recites an in
stance where he once placed some eggs
in the pocket of an old coat, and for
getting to remove them on his return
home, the coat hung unused from
June to September, when small terra
pins were discovered in the pocket.
But the most discouragi1g part Of
the undertaking is the slow growth of
the terrapin. They are Of no use for
market until they have attained a
length Of six inches on their under
shell, and it takes them from eight to
ten years to acquire this size. But
the Senator wants to see just how
much Of that time may be shortened
by careful treatment and bis fattening
processes. He says the undertaking
is purely a scientific labor, as it will
cost more to raise the terrapin for the
hrst eight years than they will sell for,
but he is ambitious te see the attempt
successful. 1t is we'll known that the
scarcity of diamond backs has led TO
much adulteration in terrapin dishes
and it is said that fully three fourths
OF the terrapins served as diamond
backs are fresh water terrapins caught
in the mountains and known as vel
low bellies" The farm is now we'll
stocked aud everything is in readiness
for the terrapins to wake up.