The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1907-08-17
,ird SnailS For the Table
uaLDON FAWCETT.

u years that 'ne ~ - 49,,
made snail meat one OF theil
"a dishes, but it is recorded
.. snail culture was practiced b!
~ ..nons way back in the time o
|, ~ Again, during the Middle
i ] the snail industry won a strons
q, hold in Switzerland and along
n.,uhe-one town producing
|, M I 900 snails every year.
W. r-.nce. the industry had as.
=. = eoodly proportions some timf
!, = the French Revolution and il
N, h.en expanding ever since.
~ ....undy is to-day the great seat
4 ~ NJ the snail meat which finds
pd ~ IN the dinner tables Of civil
p Ne .soules now comes from France
n, /. i probable that in the near
90 the United States will have its
4 galleries where the little ami
"a ran be raised for market, just as
d .cuabs or frogs, for the demand
s..dily increasing and snail cul-
Mt 4 is not difficult.
4. common or vineyard variety
mt nail (which is the species uni
NV grown for table use) subsists
60 .,,v on leaves, nature having pro-
ct q Il for the purpose with a hard,
7, I, tongue. It is fairly prolific.
VI 4, from fifty to sixty eggs an
.'e lly
d 81 newly Matched snails have
delicate shells, but they harden
k .tly when exposed to the air, and
mid is their growth that they are
enough for the market within
q ,eeks or two months after hatch
The principal difficulty in rails
them is the extreme precaution
e 5 must be exercised to guard
Y Esd their destruction by birds,
: and insects.
q snails for table use are bred
fattened in special establish
known as snaileries. The
site for snail park must have
= bp and calcareous soil.
tract is enclosed by a fence of
:, or smoothly planed boards
with tar and staunch enough
Instruction to withstand any
The boards penetrate the soil
kpth Of q half foot or more and
level Of the ground is Shelf
krrier to prevent the snails
hurrowing under.
! nails with which a new snail
!. stocked are installed in their
home on a rainy evening, and
amediately covered for the start
rom two to four inches of moss
i NV.
ID average snailery accommo-
h IT least ten thousand.
: lils in captivity" are quite fas-
Il and must be supplied with ap-
ag food. This usually consists
II faee, romaine, cabbage and vine i
Az the little animals are noe
, In habits, their food is spread !
them just before shutdown.
h Y the snails have grown quite
their luxurious fare they retire
their shells and cork them
n Up. SO to speak, by closing the
~ with a thin substance. At
i ncture they are taken from the
Which has been their home and
} Aesd on trays or screens which
e ased in huge storehouses and
" remain for several months
n Z food Of any kind. /
q =. IN the opinion of the expert
eeser. the proper time has ar
y - Trays are removed from the
\ houses and the snails are
b over BY women, who throw
y wnicn are dead and remove
Z ath' from the living.
. afthy matter is then brushed
nell. Next comes a thorough
= and then the cooking-for
process the snails are placed
y nd.
cooking is almost a continuous
,Oa at large snailery, for to
= consumer in good condi-
: coaadered desirable that the
.a0ulo be cooked the same day /.
~ are packed for shipment. !,
= the final processes in pre-
w market is the cleaning and
), lcr this the snail is taken
4 1s well; the she'll is dried and
s.r .eauced to paste form; then q
. renlled with paste, placed =
ayers of unsalted butter,
A.Aa parsley, chervil, etc., !,
with their delicious con- =
- anally packed in wooden !
'a'pment.-The Caterer. .