The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-08
A FISH-WORM FARM.
A NEW YORK MANS NOVEL AND
PROFITABLE INDUSTRY.
Converts An Old Hot House Into -
Worm Farm and Sells Fish Bait by
the Qunrt-The Worms Lured from
Their Beds by strains of Music.


From the St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
Lyons, n. Y.-Charles Reincke, a far
mer residing two miles north of this village
enjoys the reputation of being the only
worm raiser in the United States; at least
if he has any competitor in the business,
that Individual has now an opportunity to
dispute titles with our Wayne county
man. Hearing much about Mr. Reincke
and his worm incubator, a representative
of this paper. in company with DIR. NJ A.
Veeder the noted scientist of this village,
whose dissertations upon scientific sub
jects are regarded as standard through
out the civilized globe, paid visit to the
home of Mr.. Reincke this week.
Mr.. Reincke is a Hollander, and has a
wife and two young boys, is bright, ever
anxious to turn an honest dollar, and
loves to bring the festive pickerel in out
of the wet" whenever he can spare day
off. AS disciple of Izark Walton, he has
no superior and nobody hereaboutS can
boast of taking as many pickerel through
the ice in either Lake Ontario or Seneca
river, as can Mr.. Reincke. Year before
last Mr. Reincke conceived the idea that
winter to be used for bait These might
walkers are large worms which
grow from to Is inches I'm length, and to
thicsneS;ses vary su from that th,c 8i "a
a little finger of a farmer. They
are called might walkers" on
account Of the festivity they display even
ings when they crawl out Of their holes
and amble around the country. They are
captured by boys who roam around nights
with lantersn. discover the. worms and
grab them, but not toe quick, as the
crawling, Shiny worm dives for his hole as
quick as a woodchuck, and can only be
brought out by means of pressure eAerted
" Sumner me before last Reincke and his
two boys gatherd up eight quarts OF
walkers and put them in a box three feet
deep three feet wide and six feet long,
which they placed in the cellar. The box
was filled with rich ground to within
eighteen inches of the top, and then COW
cred with manure. The ground was kept
damp with daily. applications OF dish
water. Mr.. Reincke then felt happy 70
think that he would noe be Obliged to dlg
around some spring for worms in the dead
of winter every time he wished 10 go hsn-
ing. From time to time during the winter,
Reincke would get out a pint or so OF
worms and would spend the day on Seneca
river, fishing through the ice, or Sodus Bay.
Pickerel would glide noiselessly past a
live minnow to grab wriggling, walker,
and the strings of pickerel landed by
Reincke and his two boys were a marvel
to old-time fishermen ''Whar in Sam Hill
did yer get them 'walkers?" fishermen
would ask Reincke. Dug 'eTn, of course,
don't s'pose l stole EN- was the inVaria-
BILE reply. When importuned to sell some
of his bait, Reincke disposed of the worms
multiply and grow fat under their new
conditions that Reincke, after using all
that he wanted, had four quarts left In
the spring. This experiment was hlghly
satisfactory to Rencke, and he set about
the task of raising worms by the whole
| sale.
eide at Jordan in 1888, formerly owned
| the farm Reincke occupies, and built a
| hot house upon the place. This hot house
was heated by a Florida heater, which,
| after Mr. Gardner suicide. was removed
| to the house and installed TO heat the
dwelling. In its place massive 'chunk"
stove had been placed In position, COW
| cred by a potash kettle, in which pota-
| toes were boiled for the hogs. With this
exception the hot house was intact, and
| an Improbable piece OF property
/ Reincke renovated the plant, putting in
| a new box, which completely covered the
ground floor Of the building with the
side, which was left to get around and
| attend to the worms. This box was built
! within eighteen inches of the top. Dur
| ing last spring and summer Reincke and
| his boys gathered the festive might
| walkers in large quantities, and when
| ever any blowing was done, the lads
walked behind with pals and gathered
up the worms, Whlcn were torthwlth
| Inmates that he. put three barrels OF
"walkers" into this incubator during the
GUNNER From M Pee s;,, J to x, Jan; !; 1885
/ worms at 81 per quart. Fishermen left
| orders at Charles Blanks grocery in this
! village for Reincke, and he brought in
/ the worms to fill all demands.
| When the recent cold snap came on and
/ the thermometer ran down to % degrees
/ below zero the worms were all right
| and kept right on thriving and multiply.
| ing. Reincke went down to Seneca river
/ and out to Sodus Point with his worms
/ and caught thelargest pickerel to be found
| At Sodus Point the soil is all sandy, and
/ no worms can be found within a radius
i of three miles. Even in the summer time
/ common worms sold at the Point for 81
| cents a quart, and this winter Reincke
| sold his superior homegrown and hot
| house raised "night-walkers'' for 81 pei
| quart on run. 1t was curious to see the
\ avidity with which a pickerel would bite
/ on these large worms, something old fish.
ermen were 10th to believe. being of the
! opinion gained from long observation
! that pickerel dotted upon a lively minnow
4 but Rencke's worms took their fancy
| and Reincke took fancy to them. and
/ fish after fish was hauled up through the
| ice with walkers" for bait Fishermen
/ purchased his worms and fshed on Can
| andaigua, Cayuga, Keuka. Oneida Otsego
| and other lakes, with good results. or
/ Irondequoit bay, near Rochester, pickerel
| refused to be tempted with anything but
4 Reincke's choice bait, consequently the