The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-03-25
no RAISE TERRAPIN.
HORSEPOWER TAwEs' PLANS FOR IN
cReAsING THE SUPPLY.

49,
60 private Terrapin Pounds.
cris6eld, Md, built on oyster shells,
:. ,hs seat of the terrapin trade Of the
chssapeake and the home Of State Fish
Commissioner James O. Tawes, who is
sronaring to put in operation a plan for
rr.storipg the supply Of the toothsome
diamond back. He is confident that the
torrapin can be propagated with ease
md surprising cheapness, and that with
.ho aid of the state the supply may
sos;,v be maintained. The cause of the
mid decline in the quantity of terrapin
/ q considered by the natives to be due
- the destruction of the terrapin eggs.
These are laid in high, sandy places,
and scores of people patrol the sandy
beaches daily in the season in search of
,bem. They carry them off TO be eaten
os table luxuries, just as hens eggs are.
They are very rich and delicious. Com
missioner Tawes proposes, if he receives
a sufficient appropriation to justify it, to
;nclose number of females in state
round or pounds and to hatch out young
ones from the eggs. Terrapin begin lay
inc about the middle of May, and the
EGGS hatch in about 80 days. The fe-
male terrapin scratches hole in the
sand deposits her eggs, from ID to 10,
in II. and then covers them up and al
lows the heat Of the sun on the sand to
hatch them.
They are not much bigger when
batebed than man S thumb nail and are
as soft as dough. They crawl around in
a lively way and begin to hunt for their
food, which consists of small fish, crabs,
etc. In the first summer they are quite
small. and about Nov. they go into
their winter quarters. These consist of
soft mud holes in the marsh, or on the
bottom of some stream. Here they sleep
until about the middle of April or later,
and when they come out they are about
four inches in breadth. The next year
they have increased to six inches and
the third to seven inches. Commission
er Tawes thinks that there are several
varieties on the coast, but that in some
of the southern states they have precise
" the same variety as in Maryland the
only difference being that in this state
the period of alternating is longer than
it is further south.
Commissioner Tawes is of the opin-
ion that ne could make decided inn
preston upon the terrapin supply in
short time. He would do this, not be-
cause the terrapin is q luxury, but be-
cause it used TO be and can again become
a source Of great profit to those who
catch it upon the great marshes OF the
Chesapeake bay and its tributaries.
A. 7. Lavallette of Crisfield has an
immense terrapin pound, which is Sc
curely fenced in so as to prevent the es-
cape Of the high priced inmates He has
at present about 10, 600 terrapin, most
Of which. however, are now in the win
ter's sleep, not in the pound but in a
big cellar. This is kept dark and above
the freezing point, but not too warm.
The dealers here have an immense trade
in terrapin in Washington, Baltimore,
Philadelphia and New York. They re.
ceived one order for So, 900 worth Of ter
rapin on the occasion of the visit of Lii
Hung Chang to New York, and they
supplied the terrapin for the Bradley
Martin ball. They also make large ship
ments to the west.
The terrapin shippers are opposed TO
the bill now pending in the legislature.
by its provisions the catching Of dia-
mond back terrapin between April 1
and Nov. l is prohibited, under pen
atty OF $40 for every terrapin caught,
trapped or killed At no time shall the
terrapin caught measure less than five
inches on the undershell. No person
shall have in his possession, expose for
sale or buy any Of the aforesaid fish
during the closed season.
George Riggin, another large dealer,
who has pound containing between
5000 and 10, 900 terrapin, says:
The bill will have the tendency to
destroy our business and throw the
uade OF Maryland dealers into the
hands OF Virginians, while at the same
tlme 1t will retard instead of promot.
ing the propagation of terrapin. The
PA"S Wa 10 CduSbb JuSb tuO oaiho,
and instead of being sold to legitimate
dealers who would place them in pounds
where they migl -ow and fatten they
VIII be Kept in Ills and boxes until
the season opens, when they will be
placed upon the market in bad condi.
ton.
There is great misapprehension
among the majority of people as to the
actual age OF terrapin which measures
eight inches ON the under she'll. Our
urn was greatly mistaken in the same
TACT when we started to raise terrapins
from eggs. We have reached the con
ciusion from actual experience that an
eignt inch terrapin must be about 80
years old. If terrapin would grow about
an inch every year, there would be a
fortune in raising them Their growth
,or the first three or four years is rapid.
Su' after that it is almost imperceptible
rom year to year. We have been at a
great deal of expense in fitting up our
pound and have endeavored to develop