The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-04-11
AN OPOSSUM FARM.
A r,eorgia Mans Interesting and fronS'
able Venture.


Georgia Mans Interesting and fron'.
able Venture.
Onlv those who have tasted the deli
c;onS meat Of the opossum can have any
idea of it's rare sweetness anu oelioa0y
of flavor. White as the preasc VI
chicken, and tender as s"ee|oro"0'
it fairly melts in the mouth.
A farmer. on the outskirts OF our
town. finds yearly, in the hollow trees
of the wood near which he lives, 1anl-
lies of opossums, from whose hon.o
cles he abstracts young ones OIL suiOooio
aoe and confines them Tor 1at.ehlnS'
His annual gift of fine possuh !ol w
ner is looked forward to with lhhni'o
relish and delight. 1t is only since ,asO
roor however. that possum raising mas
boon classed among the industries Oh
our country. 10 eMr
Throckmorton has surrounoeo ven "oio'
Of rood land with high poaro leho1'
and calls the inlosure zine Llllie 0ro0A
Possum Farm. - A stream OF waterrunS
through it's center, and IL Is OnAohiy
shaded with persimmon trees olilVei-
: .,,o,.sod with old hollow trunks ana logs
T1ontea in the ground. Seven or elgne
iu,drod nossums, with their fanllles'
1--we in this grove. ,,on
> Tbev are fond of mapping, ana when
' ~ dos;re to sleep comes, the poSSum
0 lbs Oi the most tempting tree near,
= ss5d -. ont on one of the branches, ana
Fl lK5 80 its tssi7ssSne and a hall tunes
wrappifiII = ., TAI o. JOHN 1TcEEAv-
around the limb of the tree, swings into
space. The legs and feet are drawn
close in to the body, with head we'll up
between the shoulders, forming soft
. ball, resembling a pear covered with
white fur. On approaching the per-
simmOn grove, in the afternoon, when
they are taking their sieSta, the APP
pearance is described as resembling an
orchard with strange whitish fruit de-
pending from the boughs.
AS the sleepiness of midday passes
over and sunset draws near, one sees
with amused wonder four or five little
'possums, perhaps, emerge from the
marsupial pocket of one and another
mother and run up on the limbs above
to frolic. Soon the half-wakened moth
ers rouse, and, stretching out both head
two or three times when, grabbing their
tails with their fore paws, each one
climbs on to the limb with the young
ones, intelligently untwisting her tail
and pulling herself into place. She
balances herself nicely, until the clever
little 'poSSumS have finished their play
and climb into her pocket and hide
themselves in their haven of rest.
When she climbs down the tree they are
entirely hidden firm sight.
BY the time the seven or eight hum
dred have awakened and descended. the
ground becomes so covered one can
scarcely get a glimpse of it between
them. Immediately each one hastens
: to the creek, and after drinking thirsti-
ly, turns eagerly to the pen where they
are to be fed. Of course, they are of all
Sizes some weighing thirty pounds and
some scarcely a pound.
When hungry they utter strange
cry. Seven or eight hundred grooming
this petition for food at one time makes
the sound rise into wild, weird wall
They are fed with the refuse of the ia
, Bile, garbage meat and bones, which
they gather up eagerly, and then climb
contentedly to their resting places in
|. the hollow trees and logs. In the pySs
simmon season they are not fed, as tkVS
become fat and well-liking on the fruit
of the persirlmon trees