Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1890-06-13
DOMESTIC SEAL CULTURE.


"A SCHSnlc 10 hTUT SeulS III INC
Fresh Water Lakes.
''rhe time is not far distant" said
John Farrent yesterday, "whcn new
industry will be inaugurated in this
country, and that is the raising of seals.
A seal is not alone valuable as fur
producing animal, but it will yield from
eight to twelve gallons of oil. The seal
has great confidence in man. 1t may be
readily tanned, and is very docile ami
NAL. 1t exhibits much affection for its
keeper, and is more intelligent than the
dog.
"You look as il you doubted the prac-
ticability of such an enterprise" he
remarked to the reporter ''Well, you
will remember few years ago some
men in California determined to go into
the ostrich business. People all over
the United States thought they were
missionaries, but nevertheless they ex-
pended good deal of money in sending
to Africa for ostriches and bringing
them, to California Several of them
died while being transported, but there
were a sufficient number of them left to
give the industry fair trial. Even af'
ter the birds began to lay eggs people In
California said the projectors of the en-
| terprise had thrown their money away.
But incubation went on satisfactorily,
and the young ostriches came out in a
healthy condition; and it was not long
until all admitted that it was success.
More ostriches were brought from Afri-
ca, and the industry flourished to such a
degree that the authorities in Africa is.
sued an order preventing the taking OF
any more ostriches out of the country.
There are plenty of these birds in Cali
fornia now, as large and fine as the best
specimens found in Africa.
''The seal industry promises as good
results as ostrich-farming. They may
be successfully raised in any of the
Western lakes. They would do well in
Lake Erie. The small islands and
rocky prominences in the lake would be
just the places for them to come out ant
bask in the sun. They are very fond o.
getting out on rock and warming
themselves in the sun.
"The difficulty in the way of securing
the full benefit of the increase of seals
after they had been placed in the lake
would be that, as they are migratory
animal, many of them would make lei
way to Canadian waters, and this fac
would make it Improbable for thos'
who would go into the enterprise.
"But there are many good-sized lake.
in Michigan which would be very suit
able for the introducing of seals ant
their rapid increase. Rocky promin
ences might be made about the cente
of any one of these lakes as basksnl
places, and the industry would flourish
from the start. They would soon lear
to go regularly to given place for thei
food. 1t would be an immensely profit
able enterprise.
Some people have an idea that a sea
will not thrive excepting in very col
climate. This is mistake. They will
thrive in any fresh-water lake. In tn
Pacific ocean, off the coast of California
there is a prominence, and there ar
many seals there. They are protecte
by law. 1t must be remembered that
is warm there.
During the winter months a chea
house for protection could be built o
tho edge of the lake, to which the seal
could come for air, as they must hav
this. Then, houses would be nocessar
while the lake was frozen over ses
can stay under water from fifteen
twenty minutes, when it must come t
the surface for air."
"Pfease remember what l tell you
, that within the next few years the sea
i industry will be inaugurated in Mich
gan, and it will come to stay, and max
=, big money for the men who invest in |
and you need not live many years to sc
Toledo ladies wearing sealslin sacl
+, from seals raised in Michigan lakes"
Toledo Rlade