Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1890-08-08

Rsising tina Culinary Delicacy for Mar
ket Is Now q Thriviog Industry.
The following account OF frog farm,
taken from the Chicago Inter Ocean, will
prove Interesting to our readers, IN view
OF the proposed Introduction OF this In
dustry into Maryland.
You will be surprised" said he, ito
learn that q new Industry Is growing up
In the North. an industry which is entire
ly devoted to frog culture.
There are large farms at ST. Joseph,
Eaugstuck, New Haven. Grand Haven
and Battle Creek. where the frogs we sell
are raised. Ga many farms 10 the North
west there are marshy places that are Ut
terly useless for agricultural purposes.
Many of these spots are being reclaimed
by their production If frogs. The anil
mails require very little care and are very
prolific. Ooe msn at St. Joseph has 200,-
600 pollywogs ia his lake. They will
soon be ready for market. and at the
price at which legs sell bis profit will not
be far from s. 600. 1t would take q big
crop of grain, and an enorme us amount
of work and worry into the bargain, to
yield that much. There are different
breeds, the best and largest came from
France. They are sent to thts country
by breeders over there who make q fpe-
cialty of them. You may laugh when /
tell you that 1t will not be long before
frogs will have their places at country
fairs aud fat-stock shows Why, even
now pedIgrees are furnished importers
and there Is frog at St. Joseph named
Sullivan; he is big bull and his voice Is
q caution. He Is famous Ia that locality.
He was imported from France and costs
$50. An ordinary pair Of breeders can
be bought for s..
docs 1t require much trouble to catch
the hoppersi"
mo: when they are large enough for
the market they are surprised In the night
time while sitting on the banks of the
pond. Men with lanterns can readily pick
them up, for the light dazzles them. Al
ter being captured they are killed aud the
hinder parts are packed In Ice for ship
ment here. Sometimes late In the season,
which extends from Spring to Winter,
they are sent TO us alive. We freeze them
up and In the Spring they sell at good
price. The big ones are worth 81 25 per
from us when brought here alive. A frog
will live six months without food. But
during the period Of growth care is ne
They thrive best la running water, where
there Is plenty of grass and weeds. Such
q habit Is necessary for them to hide
themselves In for protection. The farms
are usually surrounded by fences, so that
the frogs cannot migrate. and so that In
truders cannot modest them.
II think the time is coming when frog
culture will be q permanent Industry.
Farmers are becoming discouraged by the
successive failures of crops of the last
few years, and they must find something
else to raise. think this will be the re-
suit. that frog culture and other lines will
increase and the result will be slight re-
action on the staples which are now at q
low price. The raising OF frogs Is pleas
ant occupation and paying one. Chi
cago will eat ell that can be produced In
the Northwest. We have no trouble In
disposing OF all that are sent us. Some
times our house alone sells 100 In day.
and there are many others who sell about
the same amount. The summer resorts
take large quantities from the wholesale
trade"