, 1889-07-20
ON A BIG POSSUM FARM.
THRocKmoRToN HAS EIGHT HUN
DRED OF THE FUNNY THINGS.

His Farm, Near Grimm, Ga, Presents a Most
Singular sIght-An Immense Orchard of
PersInmon Trees-Tbe Way the 'Possums
Fight When Feeding Time Comes.
A few miles west of Griffin is the home
of Mr.. William Throckmorton. MI.
Throckmorton is the proprietor of the
most unique and remunerative farm in
Georgia 1t is the Lime Creek Postum
farm"
On the very crest II a well wooded hill
is a comfortable cottage surrounded by
beautiful shade trees. AT the foot of the
hill is a pretty branch, running through
h very center of a ten acre persimmon
grove inclosed within a high board fence.
The persimmon trees are interspersed
with a quantity of old hollow trees and
hollow logs planted in the ground.
WHAT AN EXPERT SAW.
1t was in the early afternoon when we
arrived, and to the uninitiated the farm
appeared to be an immense fruit orchard
bearing an oblong whitish sort of fruit
hanging from the dead limbs of the trees
by a long, black stem. But appearances
were deceptive. 1t was not fruit, but
between seven and eight hundred pos
sums taking their afternoon siesta. Our
party were somewhat unacquainted with
the habits of the Georgia 'possum, and
consequently piled question after ques-
ton to our highly amused hosts. Inow
consider myself al expert on the 'possum,
and here is what l learned and saw:
The 'possum, when desiring to take a
nap, simply climbs the most convenient
tree, walks out on a limb, wraps his tail
one and a half times around and swings
his body out into space. His legs and
feet are drawn close into his body and
his head drawn up between his shoulders
until it forms an almost perfect ball and
appears to be a great a covered with
white fur.
The sun wa slowly setting below the
distant pine mountains and we were still
gazing at the queer objects in amused
wonder when a half dozen little 'possums
emerged from the pocket of their mother,
ran up her tail and commenced playing
on the limb above. In a few minutes
this marsupial stretched her head and
then her fore feet out. She swung her
self once or twice, grabbed her tail with
her fore paws and climbed up it to the
limb, which she caught with her claws,
UNFINISHED her tail and pulled it up.
Hardly had she balanced herself when
the half dozen young ones climbed into
her pocket and were hid from view. She
then climbed down the tree.
While this was going on more than
seven hundred others had awakened and
were coming down from the trees. Reach
ing the ground each one made for the
creek, drank, and then ran up the hill to
a pen in which they were to be fed.
AXE 'PossUM AND 'TATERs.
They were of all sizes. Some would
barely weigh a half pound, while others
would tip the scales at thirty. The pos
sum, when hungry, utters a sound which
is a cross between a NEW and a moan.
Over seven hundred 'possums were to-
gether so thick that the ground could
not be seen W them, and the small
ones had been forced upon the backs Of
the larger. All were uttering this Pc
culiar sound, reminding one of an army
of soldiers moaning over the death Of
their general, when through a gate a
negro pushed a ~wheelbarrow, heaping
full CT all kinds of trash and slops-con-
sisting OF fruit pealings, vegetables,
meats, bones and bread. As he hove in
ribhb lue SCENE among Une pOSSunS re-
minded one of feeding time in a menag-
erie. The little ugly animals screamed
and scratched and hit at one another
until the negro had scattered the con-
tents of the wheelbarrow over the
ground. Then, although 1t was well
scattered, all wanted to eat In one place
just like hogs, and there was considera-
BILE more scratching and biting. But
this did not last long, for the rations
were soon consumed by the great drove
of 'possums, and they commenced to dis
perse, seemingly contented, and this
time climbed the persimmon trees.
During the persimmon season the pos
sums are not fed at all, for it is on this
fruit they become rolling fat and ready
for market.
Mr.. Throckmorton ships five hundred
to eastern points and the cities through
out Georgia. They average him 81 each,
and he makes quite a good thing u of
it, as they are practically no expense to
him. In shipping to Atlanta and Geor-
gia points they are generally dressed,
but the majority go to Washington and
are shipped there alive. The large ship
ments to Washington are perhaps due to
the average southern congressman'sfond-
ness for baked 'possum and 'taters. ~
Griffin (Ga.) Cor. Atlanta Constitution.