New-York tribune., 1896-10-25
IERRAPIN VOW IN SEASON.
The SUPPLY SMALL. BUT INCREASING
GREEN TURTLE IN WINTER QUARTERS.


Receipts OF terrapin continue be small al
t'ougn the regular season opened on October l.
They are increasing, however. and by the end Of the
season. about April /. fl is expected that the usual
supply Of between 4.5o0 and 5.e0 pin OF all
xmas and sizes Will have been received IN this mar
ket. Those that have thus far arrived have come
mainly from North Carolina, few lots having been
received from Chesapeake Lay and Long Island.
The Nor Carolina terrapn are selling for from
s4 10 $50 dozen. and the others Tor from $50 TO $50
dozen. according to their size.
The terrapia supply comes from various points
along the coast, from Massachusetts 70 Texas. D!a-
mond-back terrapil from Chesapeake Bay, when
they are six seven inches long the under shell
and weigh from four to Ave pounds each. are sold
for from S. to IS apiece according to the time IN
the season Those from Massachusetts,. Long Isl
and and New-Jcrsey command equally high prices.
but the ones from North Carolina and States fur
ther South small. OF inferior quality. and often
sold as low from SIS to 500 dozen. In the
Ike; terrapin kept packed In wet seaweed IN
boxes which are placed n damp cellars. They will
not eat while in this condition. but will live without
food for several months. although. meanwhile they
become emacated and less desirable. Terrapin
quire ten years to grow 10 maturity and they are
becoming and dearer year by year. Tho
price Of those from the North has doubled within
the last ten or twelve years. and those from the
South have advanced about 30 per cent in the same
time.
The stock Of green turtles on hand has just been
removed from the submerged crawls made Of stout
wooden sats in the Fulton Market dock and placed
In winter quarters in warm rooms In summer tho
turtles are kept in the crawis and ted with various
kinds Of vegetable food When the flrst cold snap
comes they are promptly taken TO heated rooms
and put TO be6 shelves with their heads resting
on rude nillows They lie their backs. and will
not eat after being taken from the water. Like ter
rGpn, they Will live three months without
eating but meanwhile become ernacia ted and In
ferior for fooi.
The price % green turtles is now from Is to 20
cents pound. including the shells. il VIII GO up
10 from % 10 50 cents pound a. the season Ad-
va0ces. The chief sources Of SUPPLY are ne b"r.
nuda and West II dia islands Key West, Fla, and
Mexico. Being natives Of tropical climates green
turtles extremely sensitive 10 cold and eas'ly
affected bv icy wate- or i fr!gid atmosphere IN
winter they brought here IN warm paris OF
steamshirs Or their arrival they are laden on
carts. covered with canvas 10 protect them from
the cold and quickly taken TO the heated rooms III
the market The green turtles rece! 'ed here ranEe
weight ahout 2S 70 to pounds each. those OF
the latter siz@ heing rare. The av.r9ge weight ~
about seventy-nve pounds eac. The largest ones
solo the Gamers ano Erei' roieis; tne me-.
dIun1-sized 10 clubs. restaurants anc smsl
hotels. and the small cnrs to fa-ilies. Abou' $50
green turtlc5 weighing about 5000 pounds are re-
roved annually IN this city. The receipts from
Cuba heVe been unusually small since the outhreaE
az hostili'ies that Island This t. said 10 ne from
tho they have been fed 20 Spanish soIc,ers
on account OF a short supply Of army provsiona