The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-04

/ variety in the sizes attained. Those around
l this part Of the country are seldom largo.
/ A dozen pair Of hind legs from New GOrz
I and New Jersey weigh pound on an aver
| age, the same number from Ontario VIII
run three or four pounds, while from len
nessee and Missouri they 90 as high as i've
and even siI pounds. The con
sumner naturally prefers large 20 small
I leg This is well illustrated by the price
/ list. When the New York aud New Jersey
/ frogs have a monopoly Of the market-c9ld
weather keeping Canadian and high trelghts
western articles out Of the city, because
/ they cannot be caught in cold weather
I they bring from 20 to 30 cents pound.
| When, later on in the year, the Ontario legs
are received, the domestic article falls 10
| 20 cents and the OntariOs and Westerns
bring from 40 TO 80 cents pound.
I'm Ontario tie frog businessi is conducted
| on a large scale. The French Canadians
| inherit their talent in this field from their
! ancestors and are more skillful than any Of
their competitors.
'The demand for frogs legs increases
much more rapidly than the supply. In
1860, scarcely twenty pounds day we're
sold IN Fulton market, while now in 1889 it
IS no uncommon thing to dispose of 1000 or
even 5000 pounds in morning At first
the demand was confined to the French ana
Italians. Americans shared that curious
British prejudice, engendered no doubt by
the long wars between England and France,
which regarded beef as the only food for
man, frogs, the favorite delicacy Of Paris.
as pItlful substitute for meat in couSe-
quence called every Frenchman frog
eater By degrees the Germans aud then
the Americans began TO call for frogs, until
finally every frst-class hotel and restaurant
IN the land had them upon their bill Of fare.
The difference between the demand and
supply IS well illustrated by the price
twenty years ago IL was only about one
half OF what il is now and it has in
creased steadily during that period. 1t is
evident TO any one who gives the matter
thought that unless frogs are raised in cap
hvlJy for the great city markets, that be-
1oIe many years have gone by tho price
viii be so high as to make the delicacy a
luxury as costly as the finest terrapin.
I'm catching frogs there has been little or
no change in my recollection. The favorite
method Is a hook and limo with a small
piece OK red flannel as bait This is en-
ployed more than all other methods COM
blned. In Ontario they have practice
which has been used in France and Belgium
Tor centuries; they shoot their prev with a
cross bow or arblast. The bolt transfxes
the little reptile ana makes so little noise as
not TO brighten its friends and neighbors.
some SporCSlnen use rifle or FlObert air
gun. The latter is preferable as the dis
charge makes almost no sound. Spearing
frogs IN the night time is custom derived
from the Indians. A fiat boat, powerful
lantern, spear and two men are all that is
required. The frogs are attracted by the
Light and always face toward it. The light
Is reflected by their eyes and SO betrays
them to the catcher If the boat is moved
noiseessly by the man in tho stern, the
spearman who occupies the bow either be-
heath or behind the lantern can approach
the frog to within a few inches and then
impale him without difficulty. The Indians
use lance with great skill, but It would
hardly do in the hands of an American.
The best spear for him is an eel-spear with
which, no matter how bad his aim, he is
bound to hit the frog somewhere There
are a few frog catchers who use scape-net
in their pursuit 1t gives the user a vast
amount of exercise, but it is very poor
way Of catching anything.
FALFS CURTIS