The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-07-28
RAISING TERRAPIN.
GOVERN ENT TAKES A
HAND IN THE GAME.
Will Show Raisers How to
Restore a Declining Indus
try That Means Big Profits
Experiment Farm on Chop
tank River.

Encouraging reports are being
received by the United States
Bureau of Fisheries from its dia-
mond back terrapin experimental
farm, on the Choptank river not
far from Cambridge, Md. This
farm was established asyear ago
on account of the diminution in
the supply ofnative diamond backs
Of the Chesapeake, which are the
most delicious in the world.
The supply of native diamond
backs is very small, and the de-
mand of the Northern markets is
met very largely by Southern i'm
portations. In this respect the
fate of the diamond back indus.
try of Maryland has been almost
identical with that of the oyster
industry which has met with an
unusual setback becase scientific
development OF the product has
been largely diSregarded.
The Bureau Of Fisheries is blaZ-
ing the way for practical work on
the part of chesapeake fishermen
in the scientific development Of
terrapin farms. The bureau is
not endeavoring to raise young
terrapin for stocking purposes,
but Is ANXIOUS to show the way in
which the diminutiOn of the native
product may be arrested by expert
raising of the delicacy. Diamond
back terrapin are found along the
Southern coast, but they are in
ferior to those of the Chesapeake
Bay. For this reason many Ches-
apeake fishermen have gone into
Southern waters for terrapin which
have been brought to the Ches-
apeake and fed in ponds to be
made ready for the market in the
fall. Many fishermen believe that
when these Southern terrapin are
fed upon the same food as the
Chesapeake diamond back they
become just as good, but this is
doubted by the Governments ex-
perts in Washington,
The diamond back grows slowly
and is the prey of fish. crabs,
muskrats, birds and other enemies
when in the jelly like state of in
fancy. Even the old terrapin de.
stroy their own progeny, and this
has had great deal to do with
the diminution in the supply. DR..
Ii. M. Smith, Acting Commissioner
of the Bureau of Fisheries, said
today that between 10 and 10
nests of from 20 or 80 eggs each
were discovered at the Choptank
farm last week, and theSe would
be hatched late in the summer.
As soon as Matched they will be
placed outside of the reach of the
Older terrapin and other prey. aud
the Government will then expert
ment to ascertain what food is
best adapted to their development
and how rapidly they may be
grown for the market. Six or
seven years are required in the
state of nature to bring the dia-
mond back to the marketable size,
but it is believed by Government
experts that they may be devel-
oped quicker for the market by
the adoption of forced feeding.
DR.. Smith said today that prac-
cically no effort had been made
along the Chesapeake Bay to in
crease the supply Of the native
diamond backs. He said there
were So-called diamond back farms.
but that they were really nothing
more than ponds and that there
was very little attempt at Scien
tific development. The bureau
has reason to believe that most of
the eggs laid in these ponds are
lost.
Washing Summer Muslin and