Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-03
THE VIRGINIA FROG.

IL has been frequently asserted that il
Chickahominy swamp were dralheu'
there would be millions in IL, as
truckin~ area; and enthusiasts on the
subject have predicted that it is only q
question Of time when the draining VIII
be an accomplished fact. But II wouid
cost millions to drain the swamp ana
there are millions in 1t that could De
gotten out without resorting to any such
expenditure. There is a tide In the
Chickahominy '1owlands low that
taken at fits food. or its ebb-we are not
expert enough upon the particular mat
ter under consideration to say which
leads on to fortune; and that TOO al
comparatively little expense.
The English of Chickahominy is
Turkey lick. but it ought to be frog
lick. The great future and the golden
opportunity of Chickahominy swamp Is
I'm frog farming We are led primarl-
w. to take up this subject by state PRIDE
seeing that in Boston paper appears an
article which is most outrageously UNI
lust 10 the Virginia frog. In referring
to the matter Of raising frogs for pro-
fit" our Boston contemporary says MIS-
souri, is the greatest and the finest frog
producing State in the country. That
not true. In Chickahominy and con-
tiguous swamps Virginia raises bigger
frogs. finer frogs, fatter frogs, and pref
tier frogs than any other State In the
Union. Moreover. these frogs can jump
higher Jump farther, splash more water
when they do jump. and emit greater
variety of notes in their concerts than
any other frogs on the face Of the globe.
It is a poor specimen, indeed, OF the
Chickahominy frog that could not, even
after a dinner Of shot. have beaten Mark
Twain's Jumper, and had a few feet TO
snare. Our Boston contemporary will,
therefore. we hope. pardon us for gently
recalling to his memory these lines from
New England's greatest poet, Longfel-
low. as apropos under the circumstances
When by night the frogs are croaking,
kindle but a torchs fire;
Hal how soon they all are silent! Thus
truth silences the liar"
Testing aside. however, our Boston con-
temporary presents some practical facts
and information that are by no means
unworthy Of the careful consideration of
owners of frog-ponds and swamp-tracts.
Its article. after stating that the United
States Fish Commission is seriously in
vestigating the subject of frog farming,
and that there is a growing demand in
the markets of the large cities for the
hind legs of frogs says that Fulton
Market, New York, alone handles from
1900 to 100000 pounds Of legs annually.
AS far as the commission has been able
to ascertain, there is no frog farm in the
United States. the crop being wholly
wild; but in one section of Missouri,
where the catching of frogs is quite an
industry, one town ships 5000 pounds,
and another town $4,000 pounds, of
dressed frog-legs to New York each
year. The catching season lasts about
three months, and the profit of those en-
gagged in the work is large.
The experts of the Fish Commission
charged with the investigation say that,
even where wild crop conditions DO not
exist. the plant required for a frog farm
is very simple, and cheap. Given a
shallow pond, with a few bushes around
IT, and stock for breeding, and the frogs
will multiply very rapidly, if properly
fed,
In this section the average person re-
CARDS frog-legs pretty much as he does
'coon-he could eat them, but he doesn't
banker after them. Yet, whether big
market can be made here for them or
not. it would seem to the interest of
people living adjacent to our swamps to
look into the question of competing with
the western field in supplying the north
ern markets with the delicacy. Our peo-
pie engage in oyster farming and In
terrapin farming. Why not in frog
farming?