Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1902-11-06
DIAMOND BACK TERRAPIN. SOON
IN SEASON.
OFTEN BRING $IooADoZeN
How the Species Is Hunted--High
Cost Encourages the Use Of Sub
stitutes-Danger of Extinction
Terrapin Bury Deeply In the
Mud.

dealers are beginning to look around
for their annual supply of diamond
back terrapin, as the closed season
will end with October, and after that
it Will be lawful to market this far
famed product of the Chesapeake bay.
All among the lower bay terrapin
hunters and dealers are ready to
handle the few that they expect to
take from the water this season.
1t is generally believed that the sup
ply will be smaller than usual this
season, and as it has been steadily
diminishing for 25 years or more it
will not be long before the world
famed Chesapeake luxury will be a
thing OF the past. 1t seems strange
to read that the Maryland legislature
once passed lew to prohibit slave
owners from feeding terrapin to their
slaves oftener than once a week. A
well-known Baltimore dealer in fish
and games states that many years ago
a serious instruction broke out
among his grandfather's slaves be-
cause they were fed on diamond-back
terrapin SO often. They wanted pork,
which was more expensive than the
water food that has now become so
precious.
How to Increase the Supply.
just what steps to take to prevent
the supply of diamond backs from be-
coming wiped out entirely and to in
crease the present small number of
terrapin, if possible, has been the
problem that has caused considerable
thought for years, and yet no practical
solution has been reached. Dealers
along the lower bay shores, it is said
are now endeavoring to perfect some
means OF artificial incubation, similar
to that which has reached a success
full point in fowl raising. 1t is a
question whether the terrapin will
propagate in captivity, but the use of
incubators will serve to protect the
eggs from their enemies, principally
marsh rats and crows. Unless some
such steps are taken the diamond
back, at it's present rate of decrease,
will shortly become extinct.
While the supply is constantly
growing smaller, the demand is in
creasing, or at least would increase if
it could be supplied at anything short
of prohibitive prices. 1t requires a
well-filled pocketbook now, however,
to afford indulgence in this table
luxury. The old plantation masters of
the past would not have believed that
the sea food found in such abundance
along their shores and fed to slaves
in order to cave bacon would cost
their sons and grandsons at the rate
of from $50 to $100 a dozen, and be
difficult to provide even then for those
who could afford to pay the price. A
few years ago all the terrapin wanted
could be had for $40 dozen and less.
crisfeId Quotations.
Crisfield, Nd, is now the chief
source of terrapin supply, although a
few are sent to market each season
from the Choptank river and the. wat-
ers of Talbot county. For some years
the dealers at Crisfield and other
points have been gathering the dia-
mond backs, few at time, and keep
ing them in ponds staked off in the
water. Nearly all the good Chesa-
peake terrapin left are now impris-
oned in these pounds, it is estimated
1t is illegal to market those under
inches in length on the lower shell,
and pound men keep the underslzed
until they reach the re uired length.
Prices at Crisfeld now are: For those
Z to inches long, $50 a dozen; to
I inches, $50 dozen; to inches,
s14 a dozen, and under inches, 50 a
dozen.
There seems to be a great discrep-
ancy between $50 and So dozen, out
of all proportion to the size, but ter
rapin are distinguished for more quail
ties than mere price. AS they increase
in flavor with age and appear to be
more tender, the 100 or more years of
a terrapin's existence is worthy of
some consideration. Then, as said be-
fore, the small ones cannot be mar
keted, and not every hunter is able
to keep them until they reach the
proper size.
The item of cost is considerably
however, before the dia-
mond back is found on the banquet
board Orders from consumers are
usually placed with city dealers, who
may or may not be able to fill them
from the stocks on hand If dealer
receives a large order and hasn't a
sufficient supply he slzirmishes around
other dealers and frequently
sends to other cities. New York and
Philadelphia are thus drawn upon at
times by Baltimore dealers to meet
demands. but as a rule it is this city
that is asked to help out her northern
sisters. In the course of the diamond
backs progress from his native wat
ers to the epicure's table its value
begins to scar. The price to the con-
sumner ranges from $50 to $50 or more
a dozen. AS only the wealthy can en-
JOY the delicious dish, and as most of
hose who include it in their special
menus desire as good an article as
they can get the cost is usually from