Arizona weekly enterprise., 1889-10-12
ON A BIG 'POSSUM FARM.
THROCKMORTON HAS EIGHT HUN
 DRIED OF THE FUNNY THINGS.

Singular sight-An Immense Orchard oi PesImmon Trees-Tbe Way tho 't'ossuns Fight When Feeding Time Comes.
 A few miles west of Griffin is the home of MT. William Throckmorton. MT. Throckmorton is the proprietor of the most unique and remunerative farm in Georgia. It is the Lime Creek 'Possum farm"
 On the very crest of 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 ten acre persimmon grove inclosed within 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.
 It 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 long, black stem. But appearances were deceptive. It 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- tion to our highly amused hosts. now consider myself an expert on the 'possum, or1 io hot I loorr,nA nd
 The 'possum, when desiring to take nap, simply climbs the most convenient tree, walks out on a limb, wraps his tail one and 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 great pear covered with white fur.
 The sun was slowly setting below the distant pino mountains and we were still gazing at the queer objects in amused wonder when 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. untwisted 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.
 1 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 pen in which they were to be fed, | BAKED 'POsSUM AND EATERS. They were of all sizes. Some would barely weigh a half perInJi, 7rhilA othnrs would tip the scales at thirty The pos sum, when hungry, utters a sound which is cross between a new and a moan Over seven hundred 'possuul5 were to- | gether so thick that the ground could | not be seen between them, and the small ones had been forced upon the backs oi the larger. All were uttering this pc 1 culiar sound, reminding one of an army of soldiers moaning over the death oi their general, when through a gate { negro pushed a wheelbarrow, heapinG full of all kinds of trash and slops-con sisting of fruit pealings, vegetables meats, bones and bread. As he hove il sight the scene among the 'possums re minded one of feeding time in menag erie. The little ugly animals screamed and scratched and hit at one anothe until the negro had scattered the con tents of the wheelbarrow over tn ground. Then, although it was wei scattered, all wanted to eat in one plac just like hogs, and there was considera bic more scratching and biting. Blu this did not last long. for the ration were soon consumed by the great drov of 'possums, and they commenced to dis perse, seemingly contented, and thi time climbed the persimmon trees.
 During the persimmon season the pos sums are not fed at all, for it is on thi
 fruit they become rolling fat and read
 for market.
 l MT. Throckmorton ships five hundre , to eastern points and the cities througl
 out Georgia. They average him Sl eacl
 and he makes quite d good thing out (
 it, as they are practically no expense {
 him. In shipping to Atlanta and Geol
 gia points they are generally dresse,
 but the majority go to Washington an
 are shipped there alive, The large shil ments to Washington are perhaps due
 the average southern congressman font
 ness for baked 'possum and taters." "
 Griffin (Ga.) Cor. Atlanta Constitution.