The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-27
RAISING sNAILs.
The Odd Occupation of n San Fran
cisco Scientist Who Has Many Va
rioffaa

rieties.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.
The word small" almost invariably calls
to mind that long, Shiny. yellow creature
in gardens ard on damp garden paths
usually in the cool of the morning. One
is too likely to confuse this unprepossess-
ing slug with the little animal that carries
on its back it's dainty spiral house. But
it will be seen that while they both belong
to the same family, there are as many and
as great differences between them as there
are between the members of any other
family of animals. The snail, with its
wonderful power to construct a delicate,
even and beautifully tinted shell, seems of
a much higher order than the slug. And
so the idea of raising snails Is not reDul-
SiVe after all, but has an odd flavor OF IN
terest about it.
had occasion to visit conchologist in
his den not long ago, and while showing
me drawer after drawer of sea and land
shells, he suddenly led me to an adjoining
conservatory, and pointing to large box
that stood in the corner SAID; rms Is
saw hundreds of shells all shades of brown
and pale yellow fastened to the sides of
the box or lying upon the bottom.
The cage, If one may call 1t by that
name was a redwood box 3 by feet and
/ foot deep. 1t was half-hlled with rich,
moist earth, a quarter of which was plant
ed with canary St6u NIldN AldQ 6lOWA ~
a hight of six or seven inches. Looking
closely into this miniature grainheld
could see snals moving about nibDling
the tender green shoots or roaming among
tuce leaves scattered at random, ana
wherever a snail had crawled upon one OF
these he was eating voraclously. Inc IN
closed little animals were prevented from
escaping by screen covering the whole
top Of the box, and dark-colored shawl
was thrown over half Of the screen 70 pre-
clude the light for snails thrive only IN
shady secluded spots. 1t will be observed
also. that in moving they travel away
from the light, and in the darkest corner
Of the box was the largest number OK
snaiIs TenDerature is another consid-
Grafton of Importance in the propagatinn
of snails. Extremes of heat or colo prove
detrimental, and to produce raplu anu SUI
cessful growth an even and moderate con-
dition Of atmosphere is essential. Inc
scientist visits his "snailery every morn
ing to sprinkle the earth with WAFER, usins
a small watering-pot for the purpose, 70
supply fresh lettuce or the more teh1er
parts of the cabbage or caullnower' OF u. re
latter Of which they are very Iona, anu "
remove any snails mat may nave ui ,,,l
for snails are more dainty than one sup
poses, and decomposing material Kills
them very rapidly. .,. go,
cassf,i condition, the "snailery'' has I'M
dergone many experiments, ana the ives
~ MANY snails have been sacrihced. IN
the first place. 10 secure tne PIoPSIi ~
Nv killing some from dryness ana Almost
drowning others was the correct meuluin
ANOTHER difficulty to be overcome was in
the treatment of the snails of cannibaIstlc
tendencies. one morning, after having
placsd some OF these snails in the snail
erv." the conchologist found, to his dis
may. that dozens of the shells of other spe--
c,es Of suai.s were empty. And so ne had
RI nreDar re a separate box for the cannibals
and even then they were so earn vorous IN
their hal its that they often Consumed their
own kind. -. -,
II is necessary to observe the greatest care
70 keen them in captivity. IL the screen
top Is once left Off the box the snaiis VIII
sra wi out and though the species or the
United States are less gregar.ous than
those Of Europe land the largest number
In this collection are from our own coun-
try. they still like company wen enough 10
fellow their leader and escape imprlson-
mont Imagine the CONSERVATION OF the
ennil-raiecr to enter his conservatory al
evening and find the box almost empty,
and snaiis on the table. flower pots, leaves,
windows and curtains. This Is what DID
happen, and VIII always happen unless the
necessary precautions are taken.
one Of the fret questions that presents
itself TO the visitor 10 this odd collection
~ little animals IS How many snai,s are
IN the hOv at one tme2 Al "A rough guess,
the scientist VIII tell YOU that there are go
at present. representing twenty species
And these have come from al parts OF the
egorld--Cuha. Mexico Louisiana, New
York Kansas and othcr Dlacef. OF tho
United states variefieN there are n dozen,
from as many different states. and about
no same number are natives o. san Fran
This enthusiastic ool'esior Of snalls when