The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1912-09-05

L Is only during very recent years
that common turtles, or logger
heads, and the easily raised water
terrapin have been fully appreci-
ated as articles OF food that may
be commonly enjoyed, instead of rel
egated to form the choice dish OF ban
quets. The northern former. with
drainage stream forming al impor-
tant feature of his land, and the own
er Of springfield ponds on. suburban
gounds, may learn much from the tur-
tie industry OF the south that will
prove interesting as well as practical.
In the early days, when all that por-
ton of the coast of Florida swept by
the Gulf of Mexico, afforded abundant
hunting ground for turtles, they were
such a common article of food that
they were little appreciated, but dur
Ing recent years their commercial.
value has increased.
The most important commercially
are the green turtle, the turnkbacks,
the hawkbills and the loggerheads.
Though some of them weigh only a
few pounds, there are some mammoth
specimens captured, the claim being
made, on good authority, that the
largest have been known to reach a
weight of 1000 pounds. The green tur-
tie Is also known as the Chelonia my
das, and is the variety most priced
by the natives Of Southern Florida.
Captured by Nets.
At the present day turtles are cap
tured mainly by nets, and also from
he and by probing into their hiding
places along the banks of streams
stout pole. What is known as "tur-
tle-turning' is mainly followed as a
sport by boys. But the old residents
claim that II the early days turtle
turning was made the most important
manner Of capture, as well as sport.
An early authority thus tells of the
method used:
Here (along the southern coast of
Floriia) one can follow the most sar-
Comic of all Notwithstanding.
You walk along the lovely beach at
night, when the turtle has come up
from the waters to deposit her hun
dreds of eggs. You see one. You
advance, and coolly turn 1t over on
it's back-and that is all. You leave
1t ~leisurely n pursue your stroll;
turn another On its back, leave it,
and sc on until you are tired. When
you come again on the morrow there
they are. To walk up to a turtle in
the morning, having treated him in
this manner w night, and look
steadily IN the eye thereof without
certain titillating sensations at once
In your diaphragm (where you laugh,
and in your conscience (where you do
not laugh requires more grim rigidity
of the former and more supple elias
ITCHY Of the latter than some people
possess. Nor can there be anything
In life, considered without reference
to your own act in making it so, more
preposterous than an upturned tur-
tie lying, poor innocent, on it's mildly
nvex back, with its mildly white
eyes staring weakly at heaven, and it's
hippers ~fwriggling in fiabby helpless
ness toward the four quarters OF the
earth
In these more practical days one
questions why they should have been
turned on their backs, thus to remain
over night. Why there was not a pos
sibility Of some one else getting there
first in the morning and reaping the
fruits of the turner's" labor. Why
there was not considerable danger of
the "wriggling flippers" giving the
sudden twist that will send the aver
age small turtle right side up with
care" after a few effective struggles.
and why II would not be just as easy,
and much more sensible, on going
a-turtling, to take along means of car
rying home the prizes when first
caught, instead of allowing them to
lie on their backs until morning.
Only a few years ago, when the
turtle industry first began to be ap-
preciated from Its commercial stand
point, the beef and turtle markets of
Key West stood side by side, many
preferring the latter as a regular
meat supply, and it then began to be
a profitable industry to ship turtles
alive to the northern markets, not
only from Key West, but from all
along the southern coast Of Florida.
The turtle eggs are also valued as
food, and the pioneer settlers in the
far south found them a very appreci-
able item in their provisioning. as the
large varieties of turtles have been
known to lay from 100 to 800 eggs In
each nest. What is known as the
Florida gopher is a species of tor
toise of terrapin. that burrows In the
sandy soil and furnishes very accept
able food. Gopher caltpash Is the
most popular dish made from this
small turtle.