Evening star., 1914-08-01
FROGS.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

Ill by fTeueTlc ). aaSkln. HI
In the days before the establish
ment of the entente cordiale, when
England hated France for the sins Of
the revolution and the crimes of Bona
parte. our English literature was
deeply impregnated with hostility to
everything Gallic. And especially did
the people who fondly believe that
their superiority to all other peoples is
founded in roast beef wax sarcastic
about the people wEc ate frogs.
Frenchman was a frog eater. and
therefore without the pale, a pariah
who could not nope in this world or
the next to associate on terms of
equality with the noble beef-eating
sons of Briton. There is no doubt that
"perfidious Albion" was amply scored
Upon in French letters of the same
period, but We do not read French il:
these Urited States.
So it was that the eating of frogs
was froWned upon by our Americans
CT the era of hoopskirts and white
plug hats. In those days We twisted
the lions tail aud praised tie lilies of
France i'll all our public speaking. but
we took our manners and morals
straight from the mid-Eictorian of
ENGLAND. We would not eat frogs
The bold west, having no grandpar-
erts ard reading little polite litera-
ture. discovered for itself that the
hlnd legs of the American bullfrcs
were delicacy fit to he ranked with
ambrosia, and the hold west ate them
without fear Of John Full Or without
seeking favor of Johnny Crapaud.
Gradually the wave of education spread
eastward, and now only few old
ladies cling to tie anti-frog preju-
dice
For many years the natural supply Of
bullfrogs was more than enough to serve
the demand. for frogs were not CONNER
ciallzed. and usually were eaten by their
captor as part of the triumph of a chase
that is half hunting and half angling.
Then they made their appearance as
regular items on the bills of fare of the
city restaurants.
Frog Farming and provision must
p GIL needs be made for
SS o'oi Ss' constant supply.
Thereupon arose the frog farmer.
Fun was poked at him. He not only
had to fight the lingering prejudice of the
old days. but he also had to live down
that famous western tale of the frog
farmers who became web-footed-a tale
owen Wister turned to account in The
Virginian.'' But the frog farmer went on
his way. gathering in the shekels, ano
his unknown customers in the distant
cities failed him not-continuing to ea
frog legs at 50 cents a half portion.
Successful frog farms are in operation
| in several parts of the country, notable
ones being found In California near Sar
in,
| in Ontario within reach of eastern cities
of Canada and the United States In the
| south natures Supply is still depended
upon.
gated the subject that there are man!
places in the country where the frog en-
terprise might be carried on with ran
hope of profitable return. The best plaI
a shallow old pond. or make new one
| in some marshy spot. A close renee
should be built around the edge OF tnt
pond, to exclude such wild frog-eaters a:
| ninks and reptiles. while at least a por
| ton of the pond should be covered ovel
with screen so that wading birds WI
| have no chance to devour the tadpoles II
| their early youth. Hawks and Owls alst
are said TO be fond of tadpole diet. ane
the screen serves to keep them at bay.
x
all belong to the genus Rama, of which
thirteen species are
Rullfrog Most known In this coun
rer, try and 200 in the
S ~ world, not counting
several subspecies or varieties. Very few
of these are edible. The bullfrog is the
best known and most used of the edible
frogs. although the green frog, tht
spring frog and two types of western
frogs also are used for food The bull
frog is found in practically all parts o
the United States and Canada. although
| it attains its largest growth in Missouri
and California. The LANCER the frog the
better the meat according to many au.
thorities. so it is that Missouri and Cali
fornia frog legs are considered the hes,
in the market
Frogs hibernate in the mud at the bot
tom of the ponds during the winter
Early in the spring they awake from
! their long sleep and begin to make the
night vocal. The eggs are laid at this
! time. each female depositing two or three
hundred. The eggs are coated with an
albumnous substance. which swells or
entering the water. forming the gelatin
DuS Hl;iSS III W men 1TOS eggs always are
found. The development of the egg de.
pends upon the temperature. and in from
four to thirty days the tadpole wriggIes
out of the eggs and attaches itself to
some plant for support. The growth oi
the tadpole depends upon circumstances
of temperature and the food supply
Sometimes the hind legs begin to make
their appearance in two months Some
times not for two Years. The foreleps
begin to come out about the same time
and as the legs begin to be useful the
tail is absorbed and furnishes material
for growth. During the second veal. the
sills are replaced by lungs, and the
tadpole. midway on his journey to frog
ship now must come out of the water to
breathe. When the tail is almost alb
sorbed. the froglet leaves the water fire.
quently and becomes an amphibious ami
NAL He quits dead food for living in
sects and as soon as he has fed for a
while on the new diet he becomes a s,,re-
enough frog Maturity is usually reach
ed in three or four Years. 1t is general.
believed that bullfrogs live to be twelve
or fifteen. or even twenty, years old
Frog farmers do not take the trouble