Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-29
TERRAPIN In PLENTY
When the Precious Little Animals
Have Been Domesticated.
A SUCCESSFUL FARM In ALABAMA.
The Stock Supplied by Hunters With Dogs
Trained to the Trail.
PRICES In THE VARIOUS MARKETS
WRITTEN FOR THE D1sPArcH.l

It is q remarkable TACT that nearly all
restaurants of any pretensions, everywhere
IN the United States, regularly announce
terrapin soup on their bills OF fare whereas,
in point of fact, there are very few places,
even in the largest cities. where the genuine
article is served.
There are several cognate animals, but
only one terrapin, properly so called-some-
times designated diamond backs and
sometimes merely terrapin; the two terms
being used interchangeable. Gophers are OF
the general form of terrapin: but are large,
coarse and rough in appearance; and they
are caught on elevated land. They
construct their habitations by dig
ging holes in the ground,
sometimes to the depth of 80 feet. They
woods. In weight they run from 25 to 30
pounds. Mobilian turtles-sometimes
called striped heads-live in fresh water,
and they likewise grow so large as to weigh
80 pounds. Then there Is soft-shell turtle,
caught also in fresh water, which is regarded
as very fine in its flavor, when properly
served. They often weigh from 30 to go
pounds. Beside there is the sea turtle, or
loggerhead, which abounds in the Gulf OF
Mexico and attains the enormous weight OF
700 or 800 pounds. This species is exceed
ingly prolific. 1t is not unusual to find
from 400 to 600 eggs deposited in one place
by single turtle.
THE TERRAPIN THE SMALLEST OF ALL.
The terrapin is the smallest of all the va
rious kinds of turtle, but it is so high-priced
as only to find its way to the most fashion
able restaurants. In common with other
kinds of the turtle family, terrapin propa-
gate by making a hole in the sand with
their feet and depositing their eggs therein;
then filling up the hole and leaving the
eggs to be Matched by the sun. There are
three or four terrapin farms in the United
States. By far the largest of these Is located
at Cedar Point, Ala. Cedar Point is in the
extreme south end of Mobile county, bor-
dering on the Mississippi Sound, 80 miles
from the city of Mobile and two miles north
of the Gulf of Mexico, within stones
throw of the famous oyster reefs of Mobile
Bay, where oysters are caught during the
winter and dshipped to all parts of the United
States.
The owner Of this farm Is Mr. M. Dorlon.
He has now on the farm 20, 900 diamond
backs, running in size from four ounces up
to four pounds. The farm consists OF plot
of ground containing several acres, and sur
rounded on all sides by a board fence.
Throughout the space there are bitches or
canals cut and embankments thrown up.
These embankments are covered with fine
shells or sand, or both intermingled, upon
which the terrapin sun themselves, The
canals are filled at intervals with fresh
water from the sound, let in and out by
means of underground channels or sewers
leading to the bay, allowing the tide water
to rise and fall at will, thus keeping the
water in the canals fresh and pure at all
times.
HUNTING THE LITTLE ANIMALS. ...
The farm is stocked by experienced hunt
ers. They have fine and ample range, for
terrapin are caught along the shores OF Dau-
phin Island, Cat Island, Marsh Island,
Grand Bay and the Louisiana coast, and as
far as the Galveston beach, but it requires
expert hunting to come up with the animals
sought. And in order to succeed the hunt
ers must have dogs which have beer trained
not merely to track terrapin, but to disre-
gard every other sort of trail. And the
hunting has to be seasonable. During the
months of May and June, and during part
of July, terrapin crawl out to deposit their
eggs, and to that end,go some distance into the
grass. The dog strikes the trail, and if it is
fresh, he soon finds the game. He gives
notice of his success by yelping, and the
hunter hastens to the spot in confident ex-
pectation of prize.
He carries with him a large sack. Into
this he thrusts the terrapin, one by one as
they are found, until the sack is filed or
the hunter has as many as he is able to
carry-sometimes as many as 25 or 80. These
are taken to the store of Mr.. Dorlon, where
they command So 60 per dozen. From 2 to
ii
hunter can easily make from So to S5 per
day during that time.
EDUCATED IN CAPTIVITY.
The terrapin, thus caught and placed on
the farm, are fed with crabs and fish which
are caught along the shores OF Cedar Point,
and being cut into small pieces are dis
tributed in the canals and ravenously de-
voured. They seem to possess the power of
mental associations, for they become SO ac-
customed to the sound made by the cutting
up of the fish and crabs that if one makes a
similar noise by striking on the fence, he
will see probably 1000 or 5000 heads above
the water making for the locality of the
noise.
The market season lasts from the 1st of
October until the 10th of May. During the
remaining portion of the year, there is no
market for the products of the farm. They
are packed in boxes holding about so.
These boxes are strapped with iron ties, and
are shipped to New York, Washington,
Philadelphia and Norfolk, Va. The prices
range from $12 to S18 per dozen, the average
weight being about four pounds each; max
ing the flesh, including the shell, come at
the rate of from rs to 371l cents per pound
thus taking its place in the foremost rank
of luxuries.
The terrapin hibernate themselves in
winter, eating nothing, but burrowing and
hiding themselves in the mud. They do
not go deep. however, and many are some
times taken out of the same "hole." The
terrapin, being long-lived-perhaps attain
ing the age of a hundred years-their
growth is corresponding slow. The writer
understands that the marketable age, when
pounds, is about five or six years.
FRANK T., WELLS