Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-23
FROGS FOR MARKET
RAISING TIN A1RHIBIANa A
PROFITABLE INDUSTRY.
The Business Pays an Eccentric Han
$4,000 . Xear-Efsparing
Animals for Table.

Raising frogs for the market Is a curious
industry In which q man In South San
Francisco Ii realizing an income Of $500 q
year. One would scarcely believe It pos
sible unless ha glanced through the ranch
order book. but II IN nevertheless q fact.
THIS prosperous frog ranch IL owned and
conducted by L. G.. Combs, who for many
years has cultivated the animals for tho
table Many attempts. especially in the
west, have been mode to breed and perfect
the common frog, but In most instances
they have failed. The little creatures arc
stubborn to degree, they demand liberty
and plenty OF room. They also require a
certain kind OF mud containing peculiar
mineral deposit in which to hibernate. The
food. too. Is an important item: delicacies
which they can procure for themselves
when In wild state must be forthcoming
or they will die. With these obstacles In
the path Of success. the average expert
menter in frog raising soon becomes dis
couraged, and turns his attention to some
thing else upon which he can count with
greater certainty.
How this pioneer frog raiser in the west
came to choose his peculiar calling is inter-
estng. Always when even a boy he, like
many boys of the present day, delighted to
visit the old pend in the meadow and to
scoop his felt hat full of wriggly. squirming
little tadpoles. To watch their curious
antics IN swimming and the sleek fat little
boGaes darting through the water was a
never-tiring pastime. Later a pet frog
was special delight, but when maturity
came with its responsibilities his interest
IN the animals lapsed for a time. Later
however, the old fascination returned Once
more a half dozen or so pet frogs summed
themselves in his back yard and hopped
among the flowers, catching stray bugs and
mes. FINALLY 1t was rumored about that "a
Teller out in Baden was raising frogs" The
neighbors whispered and the curiosity Of the
countryside was aroused At that time peo-
PIE VINO ate frogs were considered in this
country little short Of barbarians They
were eyed askance in most places az MANY
OF US would now look upon an eater 81
grasshoppers or snakes
Start Of the Ranch.
AS time went on. a caterer in one of the
French hotels heard Of the ranch, and one
day. wanting a dozen or so frogs in a bur-
ry. sent there for them. The owner Of the
frogEery scurried the fields and streams to
NIL that order. and then 1t came to him
that he might raise them for market. Soon
the neighbors were surprised to see high
board fence going up around an acre or so
belonging to 1.-The feller who raised frogs"
A screen Of stout wire was stretched over
the entire top; crew Of workmen were
busy With cement. q wholesale froggery
was In preparation. The first animals were
WHO rain frogs. many Of which, unaccus-
toned to the food provided and the con-
hnement. died. Mr.. Combs gave up his
DOWNTOWN business. and devoted his time
70 sclent1nc experiments, making a SYSTEM
atlc STUDY OF the creatures. He made ex-
perIments with different soils and yariors
methods of raising lowering the water
temperature A food, which is the frog
medicine. had to be discovered, and then.
TOO, something had to be done to protect
the frog eggs and the tadpoles from their
many enemies. Also the question of how to
improve upon the flavor and quality Of the
flesh came in for a share of study. Books
upon the subject Of frog raising were sent
for even to London but no one had ever
thought to make this humble creature the
subject Of book. so. of course no such
work could be found. A year or more
passed before much profit could be realized,
then little by little the froggery began to
thrive. Mr.. Combs study was rewarded by
having no more dead frogs, almost every
egg turned into a tadpole. and thence into
table deHcacy. That was years ago; ca CHI.
year since that time has seen some i'm
prevement and some new discovery; row.
however. the industry having ceased to be
an experiment. Is running on smooth ba-
SIS with little or no trouble to the owner.
who once more has time to devote part of
his attention to other enterprises
Eceentricity of the Froggerer>
1t is interesting to note the curiosity
shown by San Franciscans in the enter
prise. which is increased by the extreme &C.
centricity of the frog raiser. Never, to any
ones knowledge, during all the many years
of its existence has any stranger passed the
bulldog at the gate of the froggery. The
place Is hedged in by barriers on all sides,
high fences, with screens. bolts locks and
many quaint devices to frighten away all
curious would-be discoveries Of its secret.
For the accommodation of the frogs Mr..
Combs has three ponds about forty feet In
length, twenty in width and from three to
five In depth. There are also an acre Of
sandy soil. a portion of made marsh and a
tangled growth of mixed wild shrubbery