Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-04-09
AN OPOSSUM FARM,
A Georgia Mans Interesting and Profit.
able Venture.

A Georgia Mans Interesting and Profit.
able Venture.
Only those who have tasted the deli
cious meat Of the OpOsSum can have any
idea of it's rare sweetness and delicacy
of flavor. White as the breast of a
chicken, and tender as a sweet-bread,
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 fami-
lies of oposSums, from whose home cir
cles he abstracts young ones of suitable
i age and confines them for fattening.
His annual gift of a fine possum for din.
ner is looked forward to with infinite
! relish and delight. 1t is only since last
year, however, that possum raising has
been classed among the Industries of
our country.
In the atOwn of Griffin, Ga, MIR.
Throck morton has surrounded ten acres
of good land with a high board fence,
and calls the inlosure ''The Lime Creek
Postum Farm" A stream of waterruns
through it's center, and it is thickly
shaded with persimmon trees, uinter-
spersed with old hollow trunks and logs,
planted in the ground. Seven or eight
! hundred possums, with their families,
live in this grove.
They are fond of mapping, and when
the desire to sleep comes, the possum
climbs the most tempting tree near,
walks out on one of the branches, and
wrapping it's tail one and half times
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-
slmmon grove, in the afternoon, when
they are taking their sie5ta, 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 halfwakened moth
ers rouse, and, stretching out both head
and feet, swing backward and forward
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.
oh 10 oil he tba hoy %
entirely hidden from sight.
By the time the seven or eight hun
dred have awakened and descended, the
ground becomes so covered one can
scarcely get glimpse of it betgeen
them. Immedi lately 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 pound
When hungry they utter a 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 per-
simmon season they are not fed as they
become fat and well-lil1ing on the fruit
of the persimmon trees.-M. Lansing,
in Once Week.
Miss Spinster Ito widowers SOM
"How would you like me for your
mamma, Harry? l would be affection
ate and tender to you" Master Harry
Guess you couldn't be tender to me-"
Miss Spinster-''Why, dear?" Master
Harry Cause I heard pa say you were
no spring chicken. '-Kearney Enter
prise.