Evening star., 1895-09-14

| that could, with very little expense, be
| converted into frog farms, and it is safe to
| say that II the business were properly look
| ed after the managers would reap a sur
prisingly large profit. The man that could
| raise a million of frogs and get them safely
| to market would be a wealthy person. A
| number of Washington boys and farmers
| In the country near the city devote a good
| deal or their time during the summer
months to catchi-ie and shipping frogs to
Washington, where they are always in de-
mand, and. although they make a very
neat sum of money by their industry they
| DO not realize nearly as much as they
| would if the business We're carried on in a
systematic manner. So far as is known
there is not single frog farm within 100
miles OF Washington, or any place where
they are raised on economic principles
Such establishments are frequent in Massa-
chusetts and the frog markets of Boston
| by these farms.
The supply is never equal to the demand
ana saudles, as the legs are called, can
always be disposed of to retail dealers at
from 30 cents to 81 a dozen, according to
their size. Those sold to the clubs and
hoteis bring better. prices, but most of these
establishments have regular agents in the
heiu' VINO sehd tnem IN as fast as caught.
Doesn't Cost Much to Start.
1t requires very little capital to start a
frog farm If there are no ponds in the
neighborhood where it is desired to locate
they can easily be made by digging to the
| proper depth and filing in with water from
some nearby stream. 1t is well not to
have the ponds too large, as trouble NAV
De experienced In capturing the frogs when
wanted for market. 1t is a good plan, when
the ponds are to be artificialIy constructed
10 make two. one above. the other. so that
tney can be drained and the frogs caught
without difficulty. Ground should be chosen
| that Is rather springy or marshy, and with
sort muck at the bottom. as the frogs
months. A light board fence should he
| built around the pond in order to keep out
such enemies of the frogs as LIZARDS snakes
ard coons. and it should also be built close
TO the eCge OF the water, SO that no birds
can stand on the inside and pick up the
pollywogs. After the pond has been pre-
Jared, the next step is to secure the spawn.
rms can be found in almost any pond or
sluggish stream inhabited by the long-dis,
tance jumpers. A close investigation will
reveal small glutinous mass. which is to
a pail of water Take it to your Matching
box. which is made after the fashion of q
shad Matching box. two feet long and
eighteen inches wide, with fine wire net
ting on the bottom. This method need only
be followed when 1t is desired to distribute
the young In various ponds, as they will
hatch just as well when deposited in the
pond in the first place. Great care should
be taken In gathering spawn not to get
toad spawn. The spawn of the frog is
found in bunch. like a sponge of jelly.
ard is clear. with black spots in it.
1t should be gathered very carefully and
the jelly, which is essential to successful
Matching, should be broken as little as
possible. Toad spawn Is laid in a string
and when lying in the water 1t looks like a
glass tube with small shot distributed
through 1t at intervals
The Matching Season.
The spawn will hatch in from seven to
ten days, according to the temperature of
the water, the warmer it is the faster being
the development. No trouble will be had in
feeding the pollywogs, as nature provides
for this important feature. They exist on
the sediment that collects en- floating logs
and en- the vegetable matter in the water
In tie course of time the pollywogs, or tad
poles. have developed into frogs, but there
seems to be some doubt as to the length
of time required in making this change. 1t
sometimes occurs in a few weeks, and 1t
has been claimed that pollywogs have ex-
isted In the early state for over a year
without showing any signs of becoming
frog. The hind legs are the first to break
through the skin, and are followed by the
'front.' the perfect frog taking its size ac-
cording to the size of the tadpole. When
the frog state is reached the animal re-
QuireS change in it's diet, and subsists on
insects, small fish and meat Naturally it
Will only take living food, the difficulty of
supplying which forms the main obstacle
in frog culture. When mirnows and lilies
are scarce the frog will often turn upon
end devour the unfortunate tadpole Stale
meat scattered about the pond will attract
flies, and If the meat is cut up finely the
frogs will get a taste for it and learn to
eat 1T. When they have passed into the
frog state they must have chance to get
cut of the water into the grass and sit on
the banks and sun themselves.
No Expense After the First Year.
Probably no return will be realized from
the first years effort, but after the initial
season the annual profits from a well con-
Quoted frog farm will increase with aston
ishing rapidity. All the labor and expense
of the enterprise is entailed at the start,
and each succeeding year all that is neces-
sary is to market the product and pocket
the proceeds When this delicaey first came
into popular favor, great trouble was found
in getting them even in small quantities,
but since fancy prices are being paid for
choice Saddles the country people living
ear streams and ponds have devoted a
good deal of time to capturing them and
they are now more plentiful in the markets
The season for frog hunting opens with
the first croak Of the male and is continued
through the entire summer months. They
reach their prime, however, in the mon tn of
September, when they have grown fat and
plump after a season of campaigning on
flies, minnows and water bugs. The work
of capturing these agile jumpers is a diff
cult matter to the amateur, but when under
tdkeH py Cne experienced nunter- and sports
man 1t becomes pleasure and affords the
finest sort Of sport. Whether they are
caught by the pot hunter or by the
novice. the excitement afforded is equal to
that in landing the gamest trout.
To Catch the CroaISers.
There are several methods employed in
catching them. but the one most universally
used is to hunt them at night with the aid
of a skfn, a flash lantern and a long pole
The boat is poled along the banks, and
when the croak Of a frog is heard the Ian
tern is flashed full upon him. The bright
light has the effect of stupefyipg him, for he
remains motionless and quick blow with
the stick disables him, and he Is thrown
into bag. Men who make a business of
catching frogs for market hunt them in this
way, and frequently bag as many as five
dozen in a single night. A frog will bite at
almost any bright and moving little object,
and a piece Of red flannel on a hook is the
means of landing a number Of them. This
Is the favorite method Of the small boy.
In order to be successful on such hunt
Ing expeditions strict quiet should be OBJ
served, for frogs have keen ears, and are
quick to take alarm. The young frog Is q