The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-07-28
TERRAP|N OFFERS
BUSINESS FIELD
s53ft So $3.50 %8v8yXZH IABIs HZ2gH.H
GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY says
+, THERE ARE BTG DIVIDENDS TN
DIAMOND-RACKs.
ON SMALL CAPITAL
UNCLE SAM POINTS OUT WAY IN
WHICH FORTUNE CAN DE
MADE IN INDUSTRY
ON VERY LITTLE.

WASHINGTON. July 27.-The dia-
mond- back terrapin. aFistocrat of the
dining table and king OF the banquet
menu need not disappear from the
sandy shores of the United States and
be lost to disciples OF Epicurus for
ever. II the business men of the ma
ton will just allow themselves to be
awakened to the fact that there are
fat dividends in the breeding OF the
animals.
| Uncle Sam Is sponsor for this state
ment, and he supports II with details
and reinforced testimony in a bullying
official report, which Is being sent
broadcast over the country by officials
of the bureau of fisheries OF the de-
partment of commerce.. Tho report Is
best described by Its own title, "Arti-
| fcial Propagation OF the Diamond
Back Terrapin."
! Terrapin q Business.
| Experts In the bureau OF fisheries
are very anxious that business men,
and especially business men with a
/ little nerve and a bit of capital, shall
read the report. In the first place. the
experts are worried because they fear
the king of terrapins is becoming ex-
tinct. and in the second place they
want the artificial propagation" to
get under way quickly.
!. The experts figure that II men, with
capital to invest, can be induced TO
read through the report. the artificial
| propagation" will be begun without
best little methods of gathering In
profits yet discovered by the govern
ment. And further. the report Ia
based on fact, pure, unadulterated
fact. without any of the coloring
which promoters lend to their
schemes.
In the report, II In easy to see, by
peeping between the lines. Uncle
Sam assumes that the average citi-
knows about as much about terrapins
as about the prevailing styles In per-
fumes in Sitka, Alaska And. as a
matter OF fact. all that the average
business man does know about dia-
mond backs In that they can tickle the
palate when concocted by a chef who
knows his business, and that the
price Of the chefs connection is gen
orally a large percentage OF the total
bill for the dinner.
Therefore. Uncle Sam goes into dia-
mond- backs from A to Y, and any
one who reads through the diamond
back alphabet will come pretty near
knowing all that has been learned by
the two experts of the bureau OF
fisheries who have been experiment
ling with the animals at Beaufort. N.
C., for more than four years The
climax Of the report is found in this
chat in favorable localities the busi-
ness OF breeding diamond-back ter
rapins will be profitable"
At Beaufort the experts started out
four years ago with forty females and
eighteen males. terrapin such as ma,
be found from Southern Virginia al
along the coast down to Florida.
From this small breeding stock the
experts procured 2ab eggs In 1910
hatch.
Good Results Obtained.
In 1911 5la eggs we're procured
and OF these 421 were Matched. Ever
better results were obtained in 1912
when $50 eggs were procured and
lsss Matched. Tho number Of eggs laid
and Matched in 1914 IL expected tc
be even greater than last year. o.
course, a terrapin must be Ave oil
six years old before he is In the hes
shape for the table. but this allow
growth is offset by the fact that "ons
. man may care for several Thousand
, Iterraptns."
A sea food commission merchant In
Washington received q barrel OF ter
rapin last year at a time when the
supply was small and the demand
great, and he sold the consignment
wholesale at $44 a dozen. or about
s366 for each terrapin. He sold &c
a Jobber, who sold to a retailer. who
= in turn sold to a hotel. each man
most likely. realising profit Just
= what the guests at the hotel had &c
pay for those particular terrapin Il
a problem in arithmetic and the high
! cost of living. or, rather as has beer
: said. the cost Of high living.
This commission man mentioned
) above was asked what he thought Of
Uncle Sans opinion that the breed
: ing OF diamond back terrapins will be
profitable. His reply was speedy
decisive, and encouraging. He said
'If / didn't have a good business
that was paying me fair dividends, 10
: start breeding terrapins tomorrow
but I don't want to give up sure
thing even to go into something that
l am confident is sure. II bred ter
, rapins, I'd sell direct to hotels. elimi-
mating commission mems 10 per cent
commission, the jobher's margin, and
the retailers profit. and then could
beat the retailers on prices and have
a neat little margin for myself
, There's money in the business and al
sorts OF future for 1t. for terrapini
are growing scarcer every year aho
the price Is going up every year"
Nearly all Of the terrapins shipped
today are caught by nshermen. and
of course, fishermen's luck n not
sure thing. Therefore, the catcheri
cannot count on a steady supply anc
they can't guarantee q steady supply
to hotels So the catchers have u
ship. no commission merchants ans
lose the best part Of the profits, 4
breeder OF terrapins. however, could
guarantee TO deliver to hotels a GER
tain number Of the animals each week
and, therefore. could get the high
: prices the hotels pay. You know. tne
hotel buyers demand that they 81
guaranteed a regular supply .frcm
those from whom they purchase.
hotel cannot have terrapin on tne
menu card one day and or the next
There the secret of the selling ana TINS
bureau of fisheries has learned ms
I secrets OF breeding l. predict ina
within the next few years wen see
terrapin farms spread all along tne
| Atlantic coast"
Terrapin Farm Diacussed.
Terrapin farms. the government e
port says. should be situated on tn
shore line OF tidal salt water. where
a supply OF fresh water also - avail
ahie icv. awampy land, whore Nsl