The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-11
FROGS FOR MARKET.
A Big Hatchery to He Established
in Massachusetts.

In Massachusetts.
Boston Transcript.
Frog cultivation is the latest industry
ol Boston capitalists. farm in Ware
mas been purchased for the purpose and
the growth of frogs will be undertaken
tnls spring on a scale which has never
been attempted in this country.
The principal promoters are Charles T,
Flint and E. r.. Flint, of Boston; George
Fernafd, of Portland Me-, and Frederick
A. Merrill, of Ware. They have recently
organized the Massachusetts Frog COM
pany under the laws of Maine A farm
o. ten acres on the outskirts of Ware
was purchased from Daniel S. Kennedy,
and is now being equipped for the under
taking. The land is on the border OF
Hardwick Pond, and was a part of the
cid King estate.
The tract is admirably suited to its re-
cuirements. running steam passes
through 1t, furnishing an adequate sup
ply of water. The system Of cultivation
will be by means of a series of artificial
ponds. These are now in process of
construction. They will be of various
sizes, and will be connected by a series
OF locks. They will be fitted with walls
and bottoms of cement The smallest
Of the series will be about 10 feet by 8
feet in size. In these the eggs will be
Matched, and as the creatures develop
they will be transferred into larger ponds.
When they are a year old they will oc
cupy bodies of water about ten feet
square, and during the second year will
be transferred to ponds thirty feet
square. When two years old the frog is
full grown, and will be ready for the
market.
1t is expected that an ample supply of
eggs for stocking the hatchery will be
found in the ponds of ne1ghboring towns,
and as the eggs terminate easily, no
trouble is anticipated In the propaga-
ton. The young animal feeds on
substance found on the surface Of the
eggs, so that no food will have to be
supplied The lower forms of animal
life will be procured, like the frogs eggs
from neighboring ponds, and, as they
propagate rapidly, will soon furnish an
incessant supply of food in the artificial
Donds The cultivation is a matter OF
small expense and trouble, and yet the
returns welded will be very large for
the amount invested. Arrangements are
being made for the growth OF from ZoOUO
to 10000 frogs year, and the Iacll4Iies
can be increased so that an output OF
mr., oo0 can he made IL the demand war
rants After the ponds are stocked there
would be only a slight increase OF lapof
required to effect the growth of the
larger number. II,
The principal market for the frogs VIII
he found in colleges and medical schools.
There is a growing demand for tho
creatures for use in the study Unnatural
history, and especially for purposes OF
medical research. At present the supply
is insufficient, and students, especially
in winter, find it difficult to procure any
specimens. The cultivation of the frog
has hitherto been PROMULGATED only on
small scale, and chiefly as food
Schools have been obligSd to send to
North and South Carolina Tor their spec
inaens, and then have not been able to
procure the animals in tho best condition.
The farm at Ware viii be equipped with
heating apparatus, 50 that the supply
will be constant and students will be ell
abled to obtain the objects Of their eX-
periments during the winter, when they
are most desired for study. During the
cold weather the frogs remain dormant
in the mud. Large cakes of this soil
will be dug from the ponds and removed
to the heaters, where the frogs will be
thawed out and sent to the schools In
normal condition, so that the blood circ-
ulation and the heart beat may be
studied under the best circumstances
possible.
Hotels and markets will also he sup
piled. The building to be used as head
quarters on the estate is now about
half built, and will be really Tor occup-