The sea coast echo., 1904-06-25

| rancn order Dook, Dut IL Is ncyerthc.
less fact. This prosperous frog ranch
Is owned and conducted by l.. G..
Combs, who for many years has cult
vated the animals for the table. Many
attempts, especially in the West. have
been made 10 breed and perfect the
common frog, bet In most instances
they have failed. The little creatures
are stubborn TO degree. they de-
mand liberty and plenty of room. They
also require 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 ex-
perlmenter IN fog raising soon he
comes discouraged, and turns his at
tentlon TO something else upon which
he can count with greater certainty.
How this pioneer frog-ralser In the
West came to choose his peculiar call
ing is interesting. Always when a
boy he, like many boys OF the present
day. delighted to visit the old pond In
In the meadow and TO scoop his felt
hat full OF wriggly, squlrmlng little
tadpolcs. To watch their curious an.
ties In swimming and the sleek fat
little bodies darting through the water
was n never-tirlng pustlme. Later a
| pet frog was special delight. but
| so hn nt itss ..nsN t,tlI
slbillties his interest IN the animals
lapsed for time. Later, however. the
old fascination returned. Once moro
n half-dozen or so pet frogs summed
| themselves In his back yard and
hoped among the flowers, catching
stray bugs and flies. Finally, II was
rumored that "a feller ont In Baden
was raising frogs" The neIghbors
whispered, and the curiosity OF the
country side was aroused. At that
time people who ate frogs were con.
sidcred In this country little short of
In most places, as many of us would
look upon an eater of grass-hoppers or
snakes.
| AS time went on. a caterer In one Of
the French hotels heard Of the ranch,
and one day, wanting II dozen or so
frogs IN a hurry, sent there for them.
The owner Of the frogger4 scurrled
the fields and streams 70 MI tlfat order,
and then II came to him that he might
| raise them for market. Soon the
neighbors were surprised to see a 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: n
| crew of workmen were busy with CO.
ment n wholesale froggery was In pre-.
paratIon. The first animals were wild
rain frogs, many of which. unaccus
toned to the food provided and the
confinement. died. Mr.. Combs gave
up his downtown business, and de-
voted his time to scientific expert
ments, making systematic study OF
| the creatures He made experiments
with different soils and various meth
ods OF raising or lowering the water
temperature. a food. which IL the
| frog medicine, had 70 be discovered,
and then. too, something had TO be
| done 10 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 share OF study.
Cooks upon the subject of frog raising
were sent for even to London, but no
one had ever thought 10 make this
humble creature the subject OF a 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 frqggery began to
thrive. Mr.. Combs study was re.
warded by having no more dead frogs,
almost every egg turned into n tad
pole. and thence into table delicacy.
That was years ago; each year since
that time has seen some Improvement
and some new discovery; now, how
ever, the industry, having ceased to
be an experiment, Is running on n
smooth basis with llttlo or no trouble
to the owner, who once more has time
W utNotc part vi MS uttShiiOh ~ obhSi
enterprises.
1t is surprising TO note the curiosity
shown by San Franciscans, in the
enterprise, which is increased by the
extreme eccentricity or the frog
raiser. Never TO any ones knowledge
during all the many years Of its ex-
istence has any stranger passed the
bulldog at the gate Of the froggery.
The place Is hedged'in by barriers OH
all sides, high fences, with screens,
bolts. locks and many quaint devices to
frighten away all curious would-be dis.
coverers OF its secret
For the accommodation of the frogs.
Mr.. Combs has three ponds about forty
feet in length. twenty feet in width,
and from three to FIVE feet in depth.
There is also an acre of sandy soil.
portion of made marsh, and tangled
growth of mixed wild shrubbery pro.
vided for them, In this way they have
many of the conditions they would en-
Joy In wild state, yet they have also
the advantage Of ready food. On sun
ny days the banks of the ponds are
filed with hundreds Of the shiny crea
lures. At night the mingled chorus. or
frog concert" as the neighbors call it.
can be heard blocks away. The frog.
like almost every living creature, grows
to recognize familiar voice, and to
hop across the yard when his partlc-
ular name is called. They like the
touch of the human hand. and several
which have attained unusual size, and
are tharefora liant for t,o+r ranor+ rao.