Evening star., 1914-08-01
Frog Farming
Business Starts.

Successful frog farms are in operation
in several parts of the country. notaoie
ones being found in California near San
Francisco, in Missouri near st. Louis anu
m ontario within reach OF eastern cities
of Canada and the United States. In the
south natures Supply is still depended
upon.
1t is said by an expert who has investi-
gated the subject that there are many
places in the country where the frog en-
terprise might be carried on with fair
hope Of profitable return. The best plan
for the frog grower to follow is to select
In some marshy spot. A close fence
should be built around the edge of the
pond, to exclude such wild frog-eaters as
minks and reptiles, while at least "A por-
with screen SO that wading birds vii.
have no chance to devour the tadpoles In
their early youth. Hawks and owls also
are said to be fond Of a tadpole diet, and
the screen serves to keep them at bay.
X
The edible frogs of the United States
all belong to the genus Rama, Of which
thirteen species are
Bullfrog Most known in this coun-
Used for Food ,rg wo,,a and nj 200 in the
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, the
spring frog and two types of western
frogs also are used for food. The bull
frog Is found in practically all parts of
the United States and Canada, although
it attains its largest growth in Missouri
and California. The larger the frog the
better the meat, according to many au-
thorities. SO 1t is that Missouri and Cali
fornia frog legs are considered the best
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 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
aloumlnous substance, which swells on
entering the water, forming the gelatin
Gus mass in which frog eggs always are
Iound. The development of the egg de-
pends upon the temperature, and in from
four to thirty days the tadpole wrigeIes
out Of the eggs and attaches itself to
some plant for support The growth of
the tadpole depends upon circumstances
or temperature and the food supply
sometimes the hind legs begin to make
their appearance In two months. Some
times not for two years. The forelegs
begin to come out about the same time
ana as the legs begin to be useful the
tall Is absorbed and furnishes material
for growth. During the second year the
giils are replaced by lungs, and the
tadpole. midway on his journey to frog
snip now must come out of the water to
breathe. When the tail Is almost ab-
sorbed, the froglet leaves the water fro
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 sure
enough frog. Maturity Is usually reach
ed in three or four years. II ia penerau~
believed that bullfrogs live tn he tu,eIua
or h1teen' or even twenty, years old,
Fros farmers do not take the trouble
to propagate their product from the egg.
but they gather
Farmers Do Not in small frogs
!. Propagate Crops" from from whatever
able, and then keep them under Favorable
conditions until they have grown to a
marketable size A comparativelv small
pond Is required, and it is said that
''AiSAo hAoi hCtiAS are favorable
the frog pond may be made a very profit
able side line.
Only the hind legs of the frog are
utilized for market as the meat on the
rest Of the body is too scarce to repay
handling. Some large frog legs weigh as
much as half a pound. and these are al
ways marketable at high prices. Frogs
are eaten all during the year, although
the meat Is slightly inferior il quality
during the spring months, and Is at its
best in the autumn
The flesh of the frog Is white and firm,
and has favor not unlike that Of chick
en-. 1t is a distinct flavor. however-and
so good that the barriers of prejudice
have been broken down in all parts of
the land.
Youthful sportsmen in every part Of the
country look upon his frogship as fair
game. The target rifle is aployed to
bring him down from his lordly pose on
the brink of the pool. and the hshhook
baited with scrap of red flannel is used
to lure him from his watery retreat The
expert frog hunter of Missouri scorns
in the night time The equipment re-
quired consists of boat, an electric
flash-light and three men. One man rows
the boat along the edge Of river or lake
Another operates the flash. and finding a
resting frog. throws a binding light full
in the frogs face. The third man then
simply picks up the frog. The light hyp
notices him, and he cannot jump. The
third man has to be a man devoid Of
nerves. for the "feel'' OF a frog over the
side of a boat on dark night is not ex-