Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-08-12
miscellaneous.
FROGS FOR BREAKFAST.


but the demand fnr this deliciey has been
steadily growing till at the present time
hundreds Of dozens of frogs are sold N
Boston daily. This demand comes prin-
cipally from The large hotels and re~taur-
ants. There are few people. otfer than
those whose business connects them IN J.
mately with the crui-ine of these places.
who realize to what an extent ffog-eiting
i becoming a liz d habit with American
people, and it is not unreasonable to sup
pose that in this country, even IN Inc
course If few years. frogs may peeoHe
a very welcome addition 10 our tables, and
firm. perhaps not insignificant factor IN
the important question OF the iood supply
for the people.
In Boston the Parker House, Young $
Hotel. the Brunswick. the International,
the Sherman House, Englehartit re-tau-
rant, and in fact all the neal " largest ana
b.-t appointef hotels and cafes are now a.
regularly supplied with frog "a they are
with chops or steaks. Some of these places
serve them only during The summer sea-
son. bat ip the majority, frog are included
in the bill uf fare ilr.'ugh every month III
The year. Frogs. unlike oysters. are not
only good in The months with an K. but IN
all the others as well. In some seasons
ofthe wear the demand for this dainty is
80 great that it even exceeds The supply.
and AT times the hotels are unable t" OBJ
tain all the trade demands. 1t may be n
surprise 10 many To know that the Parker
lIuu-e alone requires nearly 50 '"z''iis OF
frogs daily To supply the demand during
the summer months. During the winter
there is hardly AS much call for them.
n. q
fiji v dozen day. 1t is getting to be Just
the Thing to have few frogs for An alter
theatre lunch. At the large markets
in the city there is also a growing en-
uuiry for them. and it IL not AN uncommon
thing for a customer to include among
his other purchases for his home supply
dozrn or more frogs. II Is safe to say
that if people could be induced to make
single trial of skilfully prepared dish
of well fatted frogs legs, this demand,
from simply not being uncommon, would
soon become general.
The season for catching frogs extends
from the early spring, when the ice disaps
pears from the ponds and brooks. and the
first "croaker," that ever-welcome har-
binger of warmer days-makes his pres
ence known with his not unmusical notes,
until the latter part of September. and, IN
some wears, when the weather is open and
mild, even into the month Of October Al
ter this time the frogs, 1t is generally sup
posei, bury themselves in the muddy bot
toms OF the ponds and lie in dormant
condition until spring opens again. The
speckled. or common frogs, are the first
to make their appearance in the spring.
and some business is done catching this
kind in the meadows and lowlands in the
month of April. The larger species, COM
monty known as the .'bullfrog." does not
make his appearance until May. but he
comes to stay. and the marshes and brooks
resound with his ceaseless croaking till
autumn In MAY the business OF catch
ing begins in earnest and continues with
out interruption throughout :he summer.
The professional outfit of a frog catcher
is a pair of long legged rubber boots, a
scoop-net attached to "a long pole, small
gun d suitable bag for conveying the
booty home Frogs are found in abun
dance and the sportsman in this line OF
business, if he possesses even ordinary
skill. need never return empty handed
The gun only is used when the coveted
batrachians are beyond the reach of the
net. but it sometimes happens that par
ticularly desirable frog perches himself in
fancied security upon stone or log just
out of reach, and on such occasions the
gun is called into requi-ition. but no frogs
are killed ut the time ofcapture lift can pos
sibly be avoided. as it is especially desired
to secure them alive i'm order that they may
be properly iatted for IN .rkets. In frog
catching. as in every other trade or occu
patton, time and experience are required
to make one an adept at the business. and
some catchers become so expert that IN
shallow water, by watching the bubbles
that arise on the surface of the water,
they can tell where frog has lately gone
down, and are able to each him on the
bottom of the pond with their hands. a
first class catcher, who was fortunate in
striking good hunting ground at favor
able season of the year. has been known
to bring back over 60 dozens of frogs as
the result of his days labor. but if an
average of 80 dozen are taken each dav,
it is considered very satisfactory. The
best frogs are obtained from the ponds in
The immediate neighborhood of Boston.
but good ones are secured from Brook
field, Fitchburg. North Adams, and great
err or less quantities are taken in all paris
of the State.
After the frogs have been secured and
conveyed home. those that have been kill
ed are Immediately dressed and sent to
the market The heads are cut off and
the body is split down the under side and
the skin carefully removed. Then they
are carefully washed several times to
cleanse them of all particles of spawn or
other extraneous matter. The legs are
generally separated from the body. be-
cause most places only offer the former to
their customers, but others purchase the
frogs whole and use the bodies in stews
and fricasses. The living animals are
placed in large hogsheads filed with
fresh water, in which they are allowed to
stay for several days, and during this
time they are regularly fed with chopped
fresh meat and fish, celery, cabbage and
other green vegetables. At intervals oil
every two or three days. all the frogs ar.
taken from the water and allowed 10 ex.
crcise themselves. within prescribed linn
its. and to enjoy thorough sun bath
After having lived upon dry land for u
while. they are again placed in the tanks
and these operations are continued unit
they are well faited and in condition to be
killed. The handling "f the frogs during
these operations requires more than or
binary care and experience.
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