The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-10
FROGS FOR THE MARKET.
An Enterprise to he Started by Bos-
ton Capitalists.


Frog cultivation is the latest industry
to attract the attention OF Boston CAPT
talfsts A farm in Ware has been pur-
chased for the purpose. and the growth of
frogs will be undertaken this spring on
scale which has never been attempted in
this country
The principal promoters are Charles l..
Flint and E. r. Flint, of Boston; George
Fernald, 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
of ten acres on the outskirts Of Ware was
purchased from Daniel S. Kennedy, and
is now being equipped for the undertake
ing. The land is on the border of Hard
wick Pond. and was a part of the old King
estate
The tract is admirably suited to its re-
Quirements. A running stream passes
through it, furnishing an adequate supply
of water. The system of cultivation viii
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 series of locks. They viii
be fitted with walls and bottoms of
cement The smallest of the series will
be about 10 feet by 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 year
old they will occupy bodies of water about
ten feet square. and during the econd
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.
II is expected that an ample supply of
eggs for stocking the hatchery will be
found in the ponds of neighboring towns,
and. as the eggs terminate easily, no trou-
bic is anticipated in the propagation. The
D. E,,f,ef a,r1aa Tnrr m
the surface Of the eggs, so that no food
will have TO be supplied during the early
growth. When the creature reaches the
tadpole stage a quantity Of crustacea Will
be supplied. The lower forms CT animal
life will be procured like the frogs eggs
from neighhoring ponds. and. as they prep
agate rapidly, will soon furnish an inces-
sant supply of food in the artiieial ponds.
The cultivation is a matter Of small eX-
pense and trouble, and yet the returns
yielded will be very large for the amount
invested Arrangements are being made
for the growth of from twenty thousand
TO forty thousand frogs a year. and the
facilities can be increased so that an out
put of 100, coo can be made II the demand
warrants. After the ponds are stocked
there would be only a slight increase OF
labor required to effect the growth of the
larger number
The principal market for the frogs will
be found in colleges and medical schools.
There is 4 growing demand for the Great
ures for use in the study of natural his
tory. and especially for purposes of medi-
cal research AT present the supply is
insufficient. and students, especially in
winter. find il difficult to procure any
specimens. The cultivation of the frog
has hitherto been promulgated only on n
small scale. and chiefly food. Schools
have been obliged to send to North and
South Carolina for their specimens, ana
then have not been able to procure the
animals in the best condition. The farm
at Ware will be equipped with heating APP
paratus, so that the supply will be con-
slant and students be enabled to obtain
the objects of their experiments 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 a normal condition. SC thai
the blood circulation and the heart beat
may be studied under the best circum-
stances possible.
Hotels and markets Will also be sup
piled. The building TO be used as head
quarters on the estate is now about half
built, and will be ready for occupancy in
the spring. The plant will then begin
operations. and it is expected that the
supply for hotels will be ready soon aftel
the frost is out of the ground. The com
pany will not be ready TO furnish speci- |
mems for school until some time later.