Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-11-25

struction which would be avoided in
the case of those artifically bred, in
asmuch as they could be kept in a
safe place until they We're able to take
care of themselves. They are six
inches long when Matched.
There is market for baby alligators,
some being sold alive, while others are
stuffed for the Northern market From
5000 to 10000 of them are disposed Of to
tourists in Florida annually. They are
collected by hunters, who get from $50
t. $25 a hundred for them. A full
grown specimen. living, is worth from
S12 to $25 according to size. The hide
| of large one is worth ST. The skin
of the feet, with claws attached, are
made into pocketbooks and hand :
satchels. The leather has the great
advantage of being absolutely water
proof. The teeth, of an excellent ivory,
are carved into trinkets. Glands in the
lower jaw yield an inferior quality of
| musk, which is used as basis for GER
tain perfumes. and the oil from the
fat is supposed to possess medicinal
value. Thus it will be seen that the
alligator is a commercial reptile of the
first Importance.
The fish commission has been greatly
interested for some years past in the
subject of terrapin farming, though it
has not gone into the business itself ar
all, even experimentally. In the region
of the Chesape axe, which is the proper
home of the diamond back-ranging
though it does all the way from Nam
tucket to Texas and into South Ameri-
CA good many experiments in this
line have been made, and there does
not seem to be any adequate reason
way they should not have been sue
cessful. 1t is likely that some day the
government experts will take the mat
ter up in practical fashion, and the
problem of propagating these tooth
some little tortoises artifically will be
solved. Meanwhile they are becoming
scarcer and Scarcer. and the prospect
is that, unless something is done to in
crease their numbers there will soon be
no terrapin on the market.
Quite a big terrapin farm was es-
tabished few years ago on Roanoke
island-four acres in extent, three
fourths of it covered with water, with
a bottom of mud and grass. The re-
naming acre was sand, for the turtles
to climb out upon while the tide ebbed
and flowed through the enclosure
From 5000 to 5000 of the tortoises were
confined in the pound, which was sur
rounded by fence to keep out musk
rats, foxes and other enemies. The
idea was to take the surplus for mar
ket each winter, keeping up the stock
with terrapin Matched on the premises.
They grow, by the way, at the rate Of
an inch a year. and at six years of age
they are big enough to sell. All they
need in the way of food is some crabs
and fish twice a week. For reasons
unexplained, the enterprise described
was not success. Nevertheless the
fish commission is of the opinion that
terrapn farming at big profit is
thoroughly practicable.
When laying-time comes, the mother
terrapin climbs out on sand-bank,
scratches a shallow hole and lays from
eight to twenty eggs in it, finally cover
ing them up and leaving them to be
Matched by the suns heat. Under suit
able conditions there Is no reason why
the female turtles should not breed in
confinement and nets may be spread over
the sand to prevent gulls and crows from
digging up the eggs, of which they are
very fond. The young terrapin chip the
shell about Sept. l, but often they re-
main buried until spring. Sometimes 1t
may be judiciOus to pack the baby tor