The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-06-06
STARTING A FROG RANCH
THE QUEER EXPERIMENT THAT
WAS TRIED IN CALF oRNIA,
Attempting To Build up another Amer
ican Industry, and the Unexpected

epllhS uNu just begun 10 wake up anu
yawn, had train of thoughts. was
standing near small pond. 1t was a
beautiful little sheet of water and about
forty feet across. How calm No bill
lows shoreward careered. No breakers,
| with wild gray locks, persisted on its
beach. 1t was a restful poem; peaceful
picture, done in reeds. unfolding lilies,
placid water and bull-frogs. stood still
for some time, allowing the scene to soak
into me until was oozed with landscape.
So still was l, and SO long, that a bull
frog, concluding from the dense, volu-
mnous silence which prevailed that was
dead, began to MARBLE sweet lay.
The trills of his gentle voice set me
thinking, Why would not this pond be
a good place to establish froggery2
There were, and are, good many French
men in California. They not only cat
frogs but have taught other people to eat
them. Now if could start frog ranch
and conduct it successfully my fortune
was assured, and could give up working
at odd jobs and sleeping in hay stacks
and could marry and settle down, and
raise children and frogs, and educate
them-the children. | mean.
Plans for securing stock frogs for
stocking the pond were considered. /
had never run frog dairy, and did not
quite know whether to stock my frog
range with yearlings, two.year- ods, or
octogenarians, but felt, as my enthusiasm
/ grew apace and my blood warmed with
the project, that | could make success
of it. | could see my ranch under way
and prosperous; could discern myself
fNf It,ll 10
market, assisted by staff of COW BOYS
deliberately fringed with six shooters, or
rather frog boys. | could even, in the
not very far future, see that by force of
circumstances and frogs | would become
great frog merchant with n reputation
as widespread as an Old slipper that has
gradually adapted itself to the size of
the foot | would be known and re-
spectcd all over our broad land as the
great frog king. And in my canning
business ''Melonc's bull-frogs" would be
brand so popular that all other brands
would be considered by the public as
mere toads. My trade mark would be Il
jumping frog. Not one making an ordi-
nary jump, as if he was going. in time
of profound peace, TO call on a neigh
Dor, but one jumping as if his life de-
pended upon it, and as if snake was
after him.
went to work. FROGS were captured
wherever they could be found and placed
in the pond. / chased them for DAYS,
plunging into streams and other ponds
The bull-frog is not a high land animal {;
he eschews hills, nor climbs mountains.
| selected the largest | could find; some
of them were magnificent fellows. |
was indefatigable-wet, too, most of the
time.
Scventy-one frogs were caught and
placed in the pond. Some of these |
sneaked up on while they were dreaming,
others were overcome by main strength,
but l lassoed most of them. This about
cleaned out all the large ones in that
neighborhood, and | quit at that. Be
tween the hot chase and cold water, |
had contracted dreadful cold, ANYWAY.
could have coughcd in concert with my
frogs, but they didn't. They declined.
Seventy-onc frogs with those that were
originally in the pond made lightweight.
| calculated that there were originally
seventeen in the pond-all very fine ones,
too. This estimate was reached by dis
tinguishing voices in frog opera. have
a finely cultivated, fiourshing ear.
rested from my labors and nurscd my
cold until it was vigorous adult cold.
The world moved on for month or two,
and watched the pond and listened to
the mighty concerts had there, attending
both the matinee and evening perform
ances. One great green hroated fellow,
whom | expected to drive to market dur
ing the summer, welded the baton. lie
was the biggest frog in the puddle. He
wore no dress coat; just had on com
Portable, close fitting suit of warts. But,
as time wore on, noticed no eggs, no
tadpoles, no little frogs or froglets, no
frog -calvcs or calffrogs. l couldn't I'M
derstand this
One day | met Frcnchman hunting
frogs. took him to my pond to show
him what l was endeGvoring to do for
his race; and told him, among other
things, that | saw no indication of an
increase in my herd. and didn't think
would brand many young frogs that sea
son. Being floggst himself, he imme-
diately took an interest in my plans, and
expressed surprise that there was no har-
vest ripening. For some minutes he an.
peared to be pondering over this lack OF
increase. Suddenly he asked me to re-
tire with HIM from the pond. We with
drew some fifty yards from the rim of
the ranch. lie commanded silence.
which was unnecessary, as | was watch
ing him with a profound, trembling 81
lence. Soon after we withdrew the frogs
burst forth in the "Charge of Balaklava "
making the noise about twice the size of
the charge. They ha been silent while
we were near the pond The bull frog
is modest prima donna. The French
man was listening intently; was straining
every muscle of his ears. The blood
rushed to his cars with the strain. lie
exclaimed:
''Dey is all gentleman frogs; all roos-
taircs! ~
"RoostersW
soul, monsieur"
And it was explained to me by this
bull frogologist that if l expected my
business to wax, spread and oyershadaw
fho land | ,UorlJ bnuo 10 ,,I,n, Il