The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-08

The Past Years Receipts Estimated Mt Half
Million Dozen.

ST PAUL MINI. oct Ga great indus.
try has grown up in ST Paul and Minneapolis
in the last few years in supplying frogs legs. II
is declared that Their" are no other frogs like the
Minnesota product for the epCurc. Like the
quail. and other wild fowls found in the South
,he frogs caught there are unpalatablc The
difference il attributed To tho clear cool weather
found in Minnesota 5000 lakes in which the
frogs live and have their nests. st Paul
and Minneapolis the largest frog markets
in the world The total receipts for the past
cerdrd 500 600 dozen.
Frogs legs are purchased all through the State
by shippers from the two cities and the uCcupa
ton gives employment to more than 100 families
Minnesota frogs are known thu world over
for their del'cacy Of flavor. They in great
demand in New York, Cincinnati, in all Of the
Atlantic States in California, and in fact in every
State north Of ST Louis and til demand is con
stantly increasing The greatest demand for
frogs legs Of course exists in the larger cities but
throughout the coal and iron d istricts there is
a great demand for them, which is growing. In
ST Paul and Mnnea polls frogs legs are to be found
on the bill Of fare Of every hotel and restaurant.
Here they cost from 50 to 30 cents dozen
The frog CatChrrs live near the smaller lakes
throughout the State. The heaviest catches are
in the fall and the spring In the spring the
frogs come out Of their nests in droves and il is
then easy 10 catch them In the fall they return
10 the water as soon as cold weather approaches
and it is also very easy 10 capture great quaint
tics Of them al that time The frog breeds very fast
ana II requires a couple Of months for them to
attain fun Siz". In the various lakes and ponds
Of the Stat" there are probably more than II hun
drrd thousand breeding places.
mike oysters, ther' is good demand for
frogs legs all tn" year round and il is necessary
10 hunt them in the winter when tho ground is
frozen to the depth Of two or three feet and the
lc" covers tho ponds to the thickness Of from
twenty four to thirty six inches But with all
these drawbacks ii is not difficult To earn $40 a
day al this occupation. When they take To the
water in the fall the professional frog catcher
watches them and learns where they nest lie
waits until the prices are higher in the winter
ing out great numbers Of frogs As many as
800 OF 900 can be secured in one Of these nests
in good LIZ, Seasons n" effort has yet been made
frog the natural supply being large.
Thu frog catcher Kills tn" frogs with stick
around tho various lakes and ponds He has no
capital invested and realizes from 81 10 $40
u day for the time he is employed in tho occ
legs in this market al wholesal" is from five 10
eight cents dozen during the summer; but they
months Tn" demand for frogs legs is steady
from certain customers Of the ST Paul shippers
One Of the New York hotels has standing order
for nifty dozen day, and they have been shipped
regularly for more than q year to this house
Cincinnati and Chicago also have n number Of
houses that have standing orders for from thirty
five TO fifty dozen daily, and the orders are being
gradually Increased as the public taste is educated
! 70 appreciate this dellcacy They are ali shipped
by express, packed in ice In the cold storage
houses here there are now about two hundred dozen
frogs legs held as a reserve for emergency. the
dealers often being called upon 10 supply an unus-
/ ually large amount for banquets or other en-
| tertalnmrnis
The large Southern hulifrog comes into com
petition with the Minnesota frog in the Southern
states and in states Bordering on thu South hut
the southern product is not regarded 50 highly
by those with discriminating pHlatcS as the north
| err produce, The meat is CoarSr the taste is not
! So sweet and there is preference given for the
| frog from the clear cold waters Of the Minnesota
| lakes
| Five years ago there were frogs shipped
out OF Minnesota but now the business cunts 10
| upward Of 100000 year