Morris tribune., 1885-09-16
FROG FARMING.
The Profits and Losses Attending the In
dustry.

"What do l think of the establish
ment of frog farms in the United States
to supply the demand in Europe? 1t is
a fine idea in theory only remarked a
state fish commissioner to a representa-
tive of the Mail and Express.
"Why do you say in theory only?'
Because it has already been tried.
Experiments in frog farming have
proved futile, and the man who attempts
it gets some experience and no recon-
pense for his trouble. Several frog
farms have been started, always with
the same result. The reason they do
not succeed is this: it is very difficult to
provide proper and sufficient food for
them during their infantile period. The
birds eat the tadpoles and the adult
frogs live upon insects, leaving their
watery, swampy habitation and skir-
mishing around on the land for them.
In farm they can not well forage for
insects, there are so many confined to q
limited area. 1t is utterly impossible to
catch enough insects to satisfy and gor-
mandize the farm. They prey upon
each other. The baby frog is greedily
devoured by the large bull-frog, who
floats along in stagnant pool with his
mouth open, swapping them up with
avidity. 1t is a survival of the fittest.
The fttest in this case are not enough
to pay for those that persisted. The
embryo jelly that floats along covered
with green ooze from weeds, from whose
pores a million frogs may terminate in
the war of the hungry and strong over
the weak does not escape. A farm
started several seasons ago near Gale
donia, in Livingston county, this state,
proved an egregious failure, and dead
expense for the reasons | have men-
toned. If it could be done successfully
there would be millions in it. 1t is a
Utopian dream, the fulfillment of which,
1 think, will be many years from the
present.
"Are many frogs consumed daily in
New York?''
Eyes. During the summer months
from one thousand to two thousand
pounds are eaten daily. They are
shipped fresh to this market from Can
ada principally, in large half barrels.
The love for frog meat is on the increase.
Epicures and men of extreme wealth
give exorbitant prices for them. The
large green bullfrog is the chief kind
sold in this market. In Chicago they
are called water chickens, because their
flesh is white as that of chicken when
dressed properly"
The import and export partner of a
large wholesale grocery establishment
said that no canned frogs were exported
to Europe s'The fact is. there are no
canned frogs for sale worth mentioning.
In the eastern part of the British prov
inces and Canada few were put up in
cans. 1t did not pay and they stopped.
Then little while ago the industry was
started on Prince Edwards island but
the facility for shipping live frogs killed
it, and to-day canned frogs are rarity.
Thousands upon thousands of frogs are
shipped to Europe each summer and
fall, alive. They are placed in large
baskets, between layers of damp moss
and leaves. When they arrive at their
destination they are healthy and sound
and free, from fever. The stock of frogs
in Europe is limited. lived in France
twenty-seven years, and never tasted
one during that period. Although the
French are called a nation of frog-eat-
ers, yet they do not consume one-tenth
as many as the people of the United
States. The frogs there are few and of
a very inferior size, the largest not be-
ing two and half inches long. They
are stunted in growth. and do not seem
to multiply as fast as here. 1t has long
been the dream of certain French cater
ers of renown to introduce the Ameri-
can green bullfrog into France for the
purpose of propagation. The old stock
of dwarfs, they argue, would soon fall
victims to the vigorous American breed,
and disappear. They have no frog
farms in France, even of these dwarfed
specimens. do not suppose to-day if
an offer Of 500 was made in Paris for a
can of frogs that one. could be found
there. About fifty cans of snails are
imported to America yearly from
France. Terrapin, too, is rarely ever
canned. If frog farms can be estab-
lished and furnish enough to do a large
canned business, my impression is it
would spread, and in the course of ten
years from now frog farms would be
quite numerous. There are men who
will try the experiment next summer,
and raise frogs for the educated palates
of Parisians and New Workers. If they
succeed they will grow immensely
wealthy. ''-New York Hail and Express.
--.p- s-e.-
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