The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-07-01

FORK World
Prossa bly, the argos snake farm"
in the world is operated here by WI
A. king-"Snake" King. as he calls
himself. The title is not inapprO-
pirate. He has a partner in the bust
ness in his wife. The two have
handled many thousands of venemons
reptiles.
LUST now they are catching a great
many. il being the breeding season.
IL is not unusual for a RATHER to bring
forth 80 or so in one litter. Not long
ag. one brought forth 1S3 in one lit
ter. An infant snake is worth z5
cents. and it rapidly grows in value
sIp e. - TO $40, depending upon it's
weight. snakes are usually sold by
the pound. King feeds his snakes
Held mice and rats brought in by
Mexican boys.
king says ne has handled more
than SOC zoe snakes since he started
ia the business. about twenty years
ago He is now shipping annually
about 20.080 snakes from his farm.
The chaparral wilderness Of South
Texas and all Of Northern Mexico is
the natural habitat for rattlers and
many other lind of poisonous ep-
tiles
Women Hunt Rattlers.
Mrs King is an expert snake hunt
CT As "a girl she learned TO handle
then with a minimum Of danser. She
f.un1 that there was a market for
them and for several years before
meeting King she made a business of
huntine the reptiles in the brush
around Brownsville. She still delights
ia snake hunting. and is usually ac-
Companied by a sister, who is an as
sistant at the farm. The hunting OF
rattlesnakes gives employment to more
than .oe0 Mexicans in the spring Of
the year.
Snakes from the KIM farm are
shipped all over the world. They
are in demand by museums, side
shows geological gardens. and for 9th
e, exhibition purposes. Many of thes
snakes are also used for %scientifs pur-
poses-for study and dissecting.
THE Kings do quite a business IN
settling snake poison. 1t is used large
" ny for experimental pur'
poses and brings a good price. 1t Ii
said 20 be valuable for medicinal pur
poses also. There is also much de
mans for rattlesnake oil, many be
heving that it is god for rheumatism
and some other ills.
Klug and his wife have been bitter
many times by rattieSnakeS.
Snakes Taste Like Veal.
THE first time l was bitten by
rattiesnake was in 1897 he says. :"
WAS SICK at the stomach for some time
but 7 cut the wound and let the blOO'
How. using permanganate OF potash
with n hypodermic injection OF am
mOnaa. Sometimes il is necessary I
apply a tourniauet. AS soon as tn
Colson hits the flesh it SeepS on, S
the safest way is to cut d little cross
about half an inch-at the place bit
ter Let the blood low freely. If tn
cluuon is mixed properly and ad
m,nistered properly it is q sure cur
IN my opinion.
Yes. have heard Of eating snail
meat old settlers have told me the
have had to eat il. The meat is whit
and fine tasting like veal.
re "A snake is hit by a stick an
wounded, il will try to poison itsel
Kattiesnakes coil in a fash, but the
do not have to be coiled in order
bite They have to coil in order
juuip. and they are very lively whe
they do mOve. If a rattle is moving
car swing around like a flash n
strike. but if il has a chance to 6
away 1t win not trouble YOU. From
coil they can throw themselves tw'
'thirds the length of their body. b,
by repeated jumps they can tire then
selves out.
LATHE Snakes Most Deadly.
THE young snakes have pois<
fsnss Amos as O as they are Dor
ready To do the work. The small
the rattlesnake the deadlier it is. tt
reason the copperhead is SO p~oisono
~ because II is so small. The poiS<
remains in a small wound. whit
quickly heals over. as there is no blot
moving With a large make the ian
are SO big and the snake so heavy tn
IL 1t strikes yoH il tears the lower ia
hooking up and its weight causing
10 drop. Such a wound bleeds. A 1
tie snake locks its jaws and han
on.
King has several dogs trained
SNAKE hunting. They are of the Ne
,can bsir3eas variety. They QUICK
catch the scent of q snake and folio
As trail until they reach its den
come upoa il in the brush.
The usual method Of capturing
snake ia TO throw a lasso Of a snas
stout twtne over it's head. hOkin
aad then dropping il into = sunnysas
tften a hunter will bring in a dor
OF more snakes in one sack.
Wtsen the dog trail a snake to
dah u j. necessary to dig the repti
o4t .Hd sot infreoue ntiy several q,