The evening times., 1900-03-20
FROGS FROM THE NORTHWEST.
st. Paul and Minneapolis the Largest
Markets in the World.

From the Chicago Record.)
ST. Paul and Minneapolis are the largest
frog markets in the world. The total re
ceipts for the past year from the frog
| catchers OF the State exceeded 500 00(
dozen, requiring the slaughter of no less
than 5000. 900 frogs Five years ago M
frogs were shipped out OF Minnesota Now
the business amounts to upward of 800 00C
year. wonderful industry has grown
up in St Paul and Minneapolis in supply.
ing the United States with frog legs
Frogs are found in other States. of course
In the South the supply will probably
never become exhausted but there are 70
frogs like the Minnesota product for the
epicure. This is attributed to the clear
cool water which is found in Minnesota s
10000 lakes in which the frogs live Gnd
have their nests.
Frog legs are purchased all through the
States by shippers from the two cities.
and this occupation gives employment TO
more than loo families. who make a good
living the year round. The professional
frog-catcher can tell a frog-pond st a
glance, and they can locate the frog nests
and secure the greatest number in a sur
prisingly short space of time.
Minnescta-caught frogs are known the
world over for their delicacy in flavor.
They are in great demand in New York
Cincinnati, in all the Atlantic States. in
California. and in fact in every State north
Of st. Louis, and the demand for frog legs
exists in the larger cities and comes
largely from hotels and restaurants but
throughout the coal and iron districts a
good demand for them is growing. 1t St
Paul and Minneapolis frog legs are to be
found on the bill of fare of nearly every
hotel and restaurant. Here they cost from
30 to so cents per dozen.
The frog -catchers are located near the
smaller lakes throughout the State They
know all the characteristics of the frog
where to find him, how to catch him. and
where he nests. The heaviest catches
are in the fall and spring In the spring
the frogs come out of their nests in
droves and it is then easy to catch them.
In the fall they return to the water as
soon as cold weather approaches. and it
is very easy to capture great quantities
of them at that time. The frogs breed
very fast and as it only requires a
couple of months for them to attain full
size it is easy to understand how almost
impossible it will be to exhaust the supply
to be found in and around the various
ably number more than 100000 breeding
places.
Unlike oysters, there IS good demand
for frog legs all the year round. and it is
necessary to hunt them in the winter
time when the ground is frozen to the
depth of two or three feet and the ice
covers the ponds to the thickness of from
twenty four to thirty-six inches. But
with all these drawbacks it is not difficult
to gather in $40 day at this occupation.
When they take to the water in the fall
the professional frog-catcher watches
them and learns where they nest. He
waits until the prices are higher in the
winter and cuts the ice over this nest,
scooping out great nets full of frogs. AS
many as 500 to 1000 can be secured in
one of these nests in good seasons. This
keeps up the supply the year round and
makes the market a steady one compare
lively. No effort has yet been made to
establish frog hatcheries or to cultivate