The Dickinson press., 1889-09-07
ON A BIG T0SSUM FARM.
THRocKMoRToN HAS EIGHT HUN
DRIED OF THE FUNNY THINGS.

S'a@O VT Ute FUNNY lE1lIN0S.
Ills Farm Near Griffin, Ga. Presents n Most
Singular Sisht-An Immense Orchard OF
Persimmon Trees-The Way the 'Possums
Fight When Feeding Time Comes.
A few miles west of Griffin isthc home
of Mr.. William Throckmorton. Mr..
Throckmorton i, the proprietor of the
most unique and remunerative farm in
Georgia. 1t is the Lime Creek 'Possunl
farm"
On the very crest of Il well wooded hill
is a comfortable cottage surrounded by
beautiful shade trees. AT the foot of the
hill is a pretty branch, running through
the very center of a ten acre persimmon
grove incloscd within Il high board fence.
The persimGnom trees are interspersed
with Il 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 runinitiated the farm
appeared to be an immense fruit orchard
bearing an oblonS whitish sort of fruit
hanging from the dead limbs of the trees
by Il long. black stem. But appearances
were deceptive. 1t WAS not fruit, but
between seven and eight hundred pos
sums taking thciraftcrnoon sicsta. Our
party were somewhat unacquainted with
the habits of the Georgia 'possum, and
consequently piled question after ques-
tion to our highly amused hosts. Inow
consider myself an expert on the 'possum,
and here is what | learned and saw:
The 'possum, when desiring to take a
nap. simply climbs the most convenient
tree. walks out on IL limb, wraps his tail
n and IL half times around and swings
his body out into space. His legs and
feet are drawn close into his body and
MS head drawn up between his shoulders
u:llil it forms an almost perfect ball and
;.p. '";lrs to tie Il great pear covered with
White fur
The sun was slowly setting below the
distant pine mountains and we were still
.sizlnS al the queer objects in amused
WONDER when a half dozen little 'possums
''ii.rised from the pocket of their mother,
ram UP her tail and commenced playing
on the limb above. In Il few minutes
this m%arsupial 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
,t." lNIlf "ozr,l young ones climbed into
ii I pocket and were hid from view. She
...en 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
IL pen in which they were to be fed.
BAKED PossuM AND 'TATERs.
they were of all sizes. Some would
s1lrely weigh a half pound, while others
would Tip the scales at thirty. The pos
sum. when hungry. uttcrs Il sound which
Is il cross between Il new and Il moan.
over seven hundred 'poss,lms were to-
SVtllrr so thick that the ground could
moi be seen between them, and the small
ones had been forced upon the backs of
The larger. All were uttering this pc
ruiiar sound. reminding one of an army
OF soldiers moaning ovcr the death of
their general, when through a gate Il
negro pushed a ~wheelbarrow, heaping
iull of all kinds of trasI, and slops-con-
,l>tlnS of fruit pralinys, vegetables,
meats, bones and bread. AS he hove in
sight the scene among the 'possums re-
minded one of feeding time in Il mcnag-
erie. The little ugly animals screamed
and scratched and hit at one another
until the negro had scattered the con-
tents of the w~heclbarrow over the
ground. Then. although it was well
scattered. all wanted to cat in ono place
Just like hogs, and there was consiLera-
bile more scratching and biting. But
this did not last long, for the rations
were soon consumed by the great drove
ut possums. and they commenced to dis
perse. seemingly c%ontcntcd, and this
time climbed the persimmon trees.
During the persimlnon season the pos
sums are not fed ut all, for it is on this
fruit they become rolling fat and ready
for market.
MIR. Throckmorton ships five hundred
TO eastern points and the cities through.
out Georgia They average him 81 each.
and he makes quite good thing out of
1t, as they are practically no expense to
him In shipping to Atlanta and Geor-
gia points they are generally dressed,
but the majority so 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 'possuln and 'taters."-
Griffin tGa.) Cor. Atlanta Constitution.
The Way of the Negro.
The ignorant. pleasure loving. happy
,r>. a, ,-,.,.-.c NJ -.