The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-11-15

lie unless he glanced through the
hch order book, but it is neVerthe-
8 q fact. This prosperous frog ranch
owned and conducted by l.. c.
Bmbs, who for many years has cult
ted the animals for the table. Many
tempts, especially in the West, have
en- made to breed and perfect the
mmon frog, but in most instances
ey have failed. The little creatures
e stubborn to a degree, they de-
and liberty and plenty Of room. Iney
30 require a certain kind OF mud
ntaining a peculiar mineral deposit
which to hibernate. The food, too,
an important item; d~elicacies which
ey can procure for themselves when
a wild state must be forthcoming
they will die. With these obstacles
the path of success, the average ex-
erimenter in fog raising soon be-
bmes discouraged, and turns his at
sntion to something else upon which
E can count with greater certainty.
How this pioneer ~frog-raiser IN the
test came to choose his peculiar call
e is interesting. Always when a
py he, like many boys Of the present
lay, delighted to visit the old pond in
the meadow and to scoop his felt
at full of wriggly, squirming little
bdpoles. To watch their curious an
cs in swimming and the sleek fat
tile bodies darling through the water
tas a never-tiring pastime. Later a
ct frog was q special delight. but
Then maturity came with its respon-
utilities his interest in the animals
hpsed for a time. Later, however, the
Id fascination returned. Once more
half-dozen or SO pet frogs summed
themselves in his back yard and
hoped among the flowers, catching
tray bugs and flies. Finally, it was
umored that "a Teller out in Baden
VAS raising frogs" The neighbors
whispered, and the curiosity OF the
countryside was aroused. At that
lime people who ate frogs were con
Bidered in this country little short OF
barbarians. They were eyed askance
In most places, as many of US would
look upon an eater Of srass-hoppers OF
bnakes.
AS time went on, a caterer in ore OF
The French hotels heard Of the ranch,
and one day, wanting a dozen or SO
frogs in a hurry, sent there for them.
The owner Of the froggery scurrled
The fields and streams to fill that order,
and then it came to him that he might
raise them for market. Soon the
were surprised to see a high
board fence going up around an acre
or so belonging to "the Teller VINO
raised frogs" A screen of stout wire
was stretched over the entire top; a
crew of worknen were busy with &C.
ment. a wholesale froggery was in pre-
paration. The first animals wese wild
rain frogs, many Of which, unaccus'
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
DDS Of raising OF 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.
.Alse 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 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 froggery began to
sMr. Combs study was re-
warded by having no more dead frogs,
every egg turned into a tad
pole, and thence into a 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 q
smooth basis with little or no trouble
to the owner, who once more has time
to devote part of his attention to other
enterprises.
1t is surprising to note the curiosity
by San Franciscans, in the
enterprise, which is increased by the
extreme eccentricity Of the frog
raiser. Never to any ones knowledge
all the many years Of its ex-
has any stranger cassed the
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 it's 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. a
portion of made marsh, and a tangled
growth of mixed wild shrubbery pro-
vided for them. In this way they have
many of the conditions they would en-
Joy in a 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
L. aoo,,,o n Familiar u<ioo onS IN