Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-09-03

readily at so cents pound. That is nearly all
clear profit the only expense to be figured heinz
the cost of the spawn and the work required in
bedding and picking them. They keen sprouttnp
up for many weeks after the first catherine ond
1t is necessary only to go over the ground again
to get a fresh supply. One mulching will run
out IN about three months. Figuring in the time
required for the mushrooms to begin producing.
after the beds planted, three crops wear
practicable.
One square foot of ground sometimes pro-
duces two pounds of mushrooms from one crop
though this is above the average 1 should saw
that from pound to a pound and a half is the
yield that can be counted upon. have not used
all the available space in the cave suitable to
mushrooms, because l have other interests that
require my attention for a considerable mart nj
the year, but my experience in raising noush-
rooms has shown that, with comparatively LITTLE
labor, can clear 500 month from mushrooms
alone I have done that and could make a good
deal more at it, if I devoted my attention ex-
clusively to mushrooms
This cave is natural storage house for such
fruits and vegetables as require an even tenn
perature high enough to keen them from froaz
ing and a degree of moisture that will not cansa
sprout1ng. Sweet potatoes are the most proft
able for storage. Many farmers hereabouts raise
large crops of sweet potatoes, and for 20 miles
around they bring their product for storage in
this cave l get Is cents bushel for their stor-
age over winter, so you can figure out how nroft
able that branch of my industry is"
The farmers realize a large extra profit on
their sweet potatoes thus held in storage until
early spring, when they can supply the tubars
to market that is not glutted Mr. Smith saws
that at times sweet potatoes have been kent in
the cave Two years and at the end OF that period
have been found to be in fine condition
The frog Item in cave farming is a considerable
one, although it is limited to the frog season
Bull frogs have natural habit of alternating
like bears, and no amount of coaxing. or coach.
Ing, on the part Of Farmer Smith, has fndueed
them to keep themselves "tn season" the vaar
round.
Just outside the cave is the special frog Iote
where the hoarse-voced believers are fenced IN
with wire netting to keep them from migrating
when they emerge from the cave for an ou+ine
Back IN the cave, when the frogs come ont If
their winter refugees, they seem to take much
deIlght IN sitting upon the stumps of staIapnotos
croaking so loudly that the cavern echoes each
croak into chorus The river is always near
at hand for them to leap into for frolfc
The chief advantage of having the cave FOR
frog cultivation lies in the fact that the darlrness
makes frog hunting profitable in daytime as n
is outside at night The frogs are caught bv
binding them with q sudden light thrown IN
their faces. This startles them so that tbav oa
both mute and motionless, and they are scoonad
INTO net and carried out to be killed rhoir
saddles otherwise their long and luscious bind
legs are cut off and shipped to market. Froos.
legs bring from $3.50 to 81 dozen in tbo MOI
kets. ~
requires two years for tadpole to grow into
marketable bullfrog. The Fishers cavo So
are noted for their unusual size They spend q
large part of their time in the cave where +bev
are protected from the premature doom, +bo+
overtakes many frogs before thew have a++.inod
the proper size.