The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-09-05
FISH WORM FARM.
A New York Mans Novel and
Profitable Industry.
Hot-House Bait That is Charmed
BY the Harmonica.


Charles Reincke. farmer, residing
two miles north OF Palmyra, N. Yen
joys the reputation of being the only
worm raiser in the United States. he
occupies an abandoned farm, on which
a former owner had built hot house.
This hot house was heated by a Florida,
heater, which was removed' to the
house and installed to heat tire dwell
ing. In its place massive ~chunA
stove had hecn placed in position,
covered by potash kettle, in which
potatoes were boiled for the hogs.
With this exception, the hot house
was intact, and an Improbable piece
of property. Rsincke renovated the
plant, putting in newibox, which
completely cover ed the ground floor
of the building with the exception OF a
space all around the outside, Which was
left to get around and attend to the
worms. This.bo was built. four feet
deep aud filled with soil to within Is
inches Of the top. During last spring
and summer Reincke and his boys
gathered the festive "night walkers"
in large quantities, and whenever any
blowing was done the lads walked
behind with pals and gathered up the
worms. which were forthwith trans
ferred to the Incubator. Reincke es-
Inmates that he put three barrels OF
these hwalkers' into this incubator
during the summer. From December
/ to January /, 1896, Mr.. Reincke
sold 3s quarts of worms at 81 per
quart. Fishermen left orders at
Charles Blanks grocery in the village
for Reincke, and he brought in the
worms to fill all demands. When the
cold snap came on in February and
the thermometer ran down to % de-
grees below zero the worms were all
right and kept on thriving and multi
PLYING. Reincke went down to Seneca
river and out to Sodus Point with
his worms, and caught the larg-
est pickerel to be found. At Sodus
Point the soil is all sandy, and
no worms can. be found within
radius of three miles. Even in the
summer time common worms sold at
tho Point for fifty cents per quart, and
this winter Reincke sold his superior
homegrown, and dollhouse raised
might walkers" for 81 per quart on a
run. 1t was curious to see the avidi-
ty with which q pickerel would bite on
these largo worms, something old
fishermen were 10th to believe, being
of the opinion, gained from long OBJ
servation, that pickerel dotted upon a
lively minnow. but Reincke'a worms
took stheir fancy and Reincke
took fancy to them, and fish after
6sh was hauled up through the ice
with walkers" for bait. Fishermen
purchased his worms and fished on
Canandaigua, Cayuga, Keuka, Oneida.
Otsego and other lakes with good re-
suits. On Irondequoit bay, near
Rochester, pickerel refused to be
tempted with anything but Reincke's
choice bait; consequently the Lyons
worm raiser had all the orders he
wanted to fill.
One day Reincke's son Karl was in
the incubator watching his father re-
move the fertilizer from the box, in.
tending to replace it with fresh. This
work was called "feeding the crawl.
ers." Karl played on his harmonica,
making quite noise, and was sur
prised, as was his father, to observe
the worms working up out Of the
ground, their heads sticking out about
two inches, while they swayed their
heads to and fro as if tickled to death
to hear the music. When the boy
. ceased playing the worms slipped back
into their warm beds. This story
was told in Lyons, and was doubted
until your representative, with DR.. NJ.
A. Veeder saw the story verified. The
lad with his mouth organ seemed to
have the same effect upon the night
walkers as do the wind instruments
handled by Hindoo snake charmers
! upon the serpents that roam undis-
turbed in the Orient. st Louis Globe
Democrat.