The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-04-10
FROG FARMING IN
THE UNITED STATES
Trom Trans-Pacihc Trade.)


years few farmers viii neglect TO utI-
Hze their waste swampy land for the 4
rearing Of frogs for the market Al
ready the United States uses more I
frogs in six months than France does
in year. II is safe TO say that or 4
those consumed in the markets Of the 4
1 United States ninety per cent are wild /
frogs. The demand far exceeds the 4
! supply and il is likely TO be so for \
many years to come The value OF
/ the annual catch in the United States
1 is fully 500, 900 and the gross value 70 /
the hunters is more than S50,V0o /
/ There is not the slightest doubt in the
world that were frogs available, the 1
value OF the annual catch would leap ,
ar once TO more than 81, ooo. oeo, says W. /
+ E Meehan-
There are some difficulties in the way
of a successful farm. but there are
none which can not be removed as a
result Of continued effort and expert
nent. IF efforts and experiment in
the endeavor TO rear frogs successfully
I were costly, there would be reason for
the average farmer 10 pause before en-
tering on the work; but the work may
f,a carried on with scarcely any money
expense. In the first place the land
which can be utilized is practically
worthless for any other purpose. a
sw ampy area containing springs or a
small rilI Of water or into which
small quantity Of water may be in
lroduced viii meet every requirement
After the cost of digging the neces-
sary ponds and the cost OF fencing
them. the outlay is nearly nominal
The chief difficulty to be overcome
in order TO successfully rear frogs for
= tzr-v1s Ia NJ
supply Of food for the frogs from the
time they have developed from tad
poles to the time they are fit to be
killed and sold During that period
: frogs win eat live food only. The
rearing of tadpoIes, If certain simple
| rules are not departed from, is child's
play. The caring Of young frogs from
the period Of development TO the fol-
lowing spring is not difficult The IN
solved problem is to successfully care
for a large number after they are one
year old.
The frog is a eoId-blooded vertebrate
: belonging TO a class known as
. Batrachia, they belong 10 an Greer
midway between fishes and reptiles,
among the latter of which are in
3 cIuded not merely snakes, but terrapin
: and aIligators. There are more than
$50 species known, most Of which De-
long TO Africa and the East lnoles-
There are thirteen edible species In
the United States, with rather more
Y than half dozen sub species or yarie-
: ties.
The generic name Of the frog Is
Rama. a Latin word which means frog
, The species in Pennsylvania are: Rama
= catesbiana or common bull frog; Rama
4 | virescens, the spring or leopard frog;
Rama cIamata, the green frog; anc
Rama palustris, or the pickerel frog
e sometimes called the marsh or tiger
p / frog Is a yeIlowish green destitute Of
"a cate and deliciously- meat
The rickerel or marsh frog, while no
: poisonous. as often supposed. is no
= esteemed for food purposes owing Z
a the disagreeable odor Of the frog IL
self. although the odor is not peTcep
% tibIe when the flesh Is cooked
OF the three species highly priced
the. largest and perhaps the best 10
general market purposes Is the Ram
,a catesbiana or the common bull 1rog
II is the largest Of all the species Il
North America II reaches lengu
m sometimes Of over nine inches and
a weight of more than a pound and
= half. The body is thick and chunk
looking. the head is broad and the SKI
n K slightly round, the hind toes ar
5 fully webbed and the tympanum
Ks much larger than the eye, though no
as large as the tympanun Of the gree
az or spring frog. The back is colorec
n peculiar dark oIivaceous brown or fer
Is ruginous. plentifulIy NOTED VII
darker blotches@ bout half the size {
The eve. Occasionally the common ou
frog is a yeIlowish green despltate
IL bIotches or yellow markings On n
back The exposed parts OF the mn
rs .egs are heavily blotched with niacl
~ The inner side are white With opseU
m notllngs Of brown and the throat
n often bright yellow. The oeiLy
white. Until recently il was generAil
81 accepted as a fact that this specl'
as and the green frog passed the mr.
.fe winter in the tadpole stage But thl
= from investigation conducted al Z
State hatcheries, has been shown n
To be SO. The tadpole Of both specl
viii. when the eggs have been O.
posted, mature nearly as rapidly
I the leopard frog, and viii be fully
in veIoped by autumn There $ We
Ter strong evidence. but not fully co
Armed, that both the common II
and the green viii spawn twice a.
at that II is the second spawning Whi
AK remains over until spring II the Ia
on pole stage before developing
The common bull frog is possess
Of solitary habits, hence, while on
count Of its great size and weight "a
=, specimen would realize great
: amount for the market. il VIII pro
vii ably be found impossible 70 ho-d
for many successfully il 2 pond o. a C
I'll tain size Is would be possible II |
case Of some other species
ing The most delicious and perhaps !
3Tt best frog for rearing would be I
Rama clanata. better known as |
green Or spring frog While not
,o-, large as the common bun frog
nevertheless grows 10 large size
Tis IS massive both as 70 body and I'M
IS The posteri0r part Of the back
a. dark olive shading into 2 or1llla
- green at the anterior The bIttocks
notified with brown and Yellow
ing white and sometimes are almost
rfre1y black The throat i eltron
low. While II Is somewhat solitary
its habits and in 4 wild state 1ol