Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-06-13
STARTING A FROG RANCH
SKE QUEER Exs ERINEET THAT
WAS TRIED IN CALIFORNIA,
Attempting TO Build up another Amer
lean Industry, and the Unexpected
Result.

spring had just begun to wake up and
yawn, had train of thoughts. was
standing near small pond. 1t was
beautiful little sheet of water and about
forty feet across. How calml No bill
lows shoreward careered. No breakers,
with wild gray locks, perished 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 |, and so long, that bull
frog, concluding from the dense, volu-
minous silence which prevailed that l was
dead, began to MARBLE sweet lay.
The trills of his gentle voice set me
thinking, Why would not this pond be
good place to establish froggery9
There were, and are, good many French
men in California. They not only eat
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. l 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- olds, or
octogenarians, but felt, smy enthusiasm
grew apace and my blood warmed with
the project, that could make success
of it. l could see my ranch under way
and prosperous; could discern myself
driving my first herd of bullfrogs to
market, assisted by staff of cowboys.
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
a great frog merchant, with reputation
as widespread as an old slipper that has
gradually adapted itself to the size of
the foot l would be known and re-
spectcd all over our broad land as the
great frog king. And in my canning
business 'Melone's bull-frogs" would be
a brand so popular that all other brands
would be considered by the public as
mere toads. My trade mark would be a
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
l went to work. Frogs were captured
wherever they could be found and placed
in the pond. l chased them for DAYS,
plunging into streams and other ponds.
The bull-frog is not high land animal;
he eschews hills, nor climbs mountains
| selected the largest l could find; some
Of them were magnificent fellows. l
was indefatigable-wet, too, most of the
time
Seventy-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 | lassoed most of them. This about
cleaned out all the large ones in that
neighborhood, and 1 quit at that. Be-
tween the hot chase and cold water, | |
had contracted dreadful cold, anyway.
could have coughed in concert with nv
frogs. but they didn't. They declined. |
Seventyone frogs with those that were
originally in the pond made Lightweight.
L 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
Il finely-cultivated, fourishing ear.
| rested from my labors and nursed nv
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. He
was the biggest frog in the puddle. He
wore no dress-coat just had on a COM
Portable, close-fitting suit of warts. But,
as time wore on, l noticed no eggs, no
tadpoles, no little frogs or froglets, no
frog calves or calf-frogs. | couldn't I'M
derstand this.
One day met a Frenchman hunting
frogs. took him to my pond to show
him what was endeavoring to do for
his race; and told him, among other
-hings, that l saw no indication of an
in my herd, and didn't think I
would brand many young frogs that sea-
son. Being froggist himself. he imme-
ilately took an interest in my plans, and
surprise that there was no har-
'est ripcning. For some minutes he ap-
oeared to be bordering over this lack of
Increase. Suddenly he asked me to re-
ire with HIM from the pond. We with
brew some fifty yards from the rim of
he ranch. He commanded silence,
which was unnecessary, as l was watch
ng him with profound, trembling ST.
ence. Soon after we withdrew the FROGS
'urst forth in the ''Charge of Balaklava,n
making the noise about twice the size of
he charge. They hal been silent while
We we're near the pond. The buIl-frog :
modest prima donna. The French.
nan was listening intently; was straining I
very muscle of his ears. The blood
ushed to his cars with the strain. He
reclaimed: i
'Dey is all gentleman frogs; all roos-
aircs!"
"Roosters2" |
"Oui, monsieur" t
And it was explained to me by this
'ull -frogologist that if l expected nv c
BUSINESS to wax, spread and overshadaw @
ne land, l would have to place ode S
wife, in the pond. And that
could distinguish the belle-frogs from
he bull-frogs by their delicately attuncd
oices, more graceful figures, tapering \
5aists and coquet,ish airs. =
l went to work again and caught and !,
laced in the pond ninety-seven frogs OF l
oquettish airs and finikin manners. c
1t was too late in the season to expect .
crop, and | bought no harvesting ma. .
hinery. y
The summer, with its joys and sorrows, i
assed away. Autumn, with its yariegated q