The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1914-09-05

readily at SO cents a pound. That is nearly all
clear profit, the only expense to be figured being
the cost of the spawn and the work required in
bedding and picking them. They keep sprouting
up for many weeks after the first gathering, and
" is necessary only to go over the ground again
to get a fresh supply. One mulching will rim
out in about three months. Figuring In the time
required for the mushrooms to begin producing.
after the beds are planted, three crops a year
are practicable.
"One square foot of ground sometimes pro-
duces two pounds of mushrooms from one crop.
though this is above the average. I should saw
that from a 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 m
mushrooms, because ! have other interests that
require my attention for a considerable part Of
the year, but my experience in raising musb.
rooms has shown that, with comparatively little
labor, l can clear 500 a month from mushrooms
alone. l have done that and could make a good
deal more at it, If 1 devoted my attention ex.
clusively to mushrooms.
This cave is a natural storage house for such
fruits and vegetables as require an even fem
%perature high enough to keep them from freez.
ing and a degree Of moisture that will not cause
sprouting. Sweet potatoes are the most profit
able for storage. Many farmers hereabouts raise
large crops of sweet potatoes, and for 20 riles
around they bring their product for storage in
this cave. I get Is cents a bushel for their stor.
age over winter, so you can figure out how nroNt.
able that branch of my cave industry is"
The farmers realize a large extra profit IN
their sweet potatoes thus held In storage until
early spring, when they can supply the tubers
to a 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 seasor
Bull frogs have a natural habit of alternating
like bears, and no amount of coaxing, or coach.
ing, on the part of Farmer Smith, has indnced
them to keep themselves in season" the wear
round.
Just outside the cave is the special frog lake
where the hoarse-voiced believers are fenced in
with wire netting to keep them from migrating.
when they emerge from the cave for an outing
Back in the cave, when the frogs come ont 70
their winter refugees, they seem to take much
delight in sitting upon the stumps of stalagmites
croaktng so loudly that the cavern echoes each
croak into a chorus. The river is always near
at hand for them to leap into for a frolic.
The chief advantage OF having the cave for
frog cultivation lies in the fact that the darkness
makes frog hunting as profitable in daytime as n
Is outside at night. The frogs are caught nv
binding them with a sudden light thrown IN
their faces. This ~startles them so that thew are
both mute and motionless, and they are scooned
into a net and carried out to be killed Thar
saddles otherwise their long and luscious hind
legs, are cut OFF and shipped to market. FROGS.
legs bring from $3.50 to 50 a dozen in the mar.
kets. "
1t requires two years for a tadpole to grow into
a marketable bullfrog. The Fishers cave froo,
are noted for their unusual size. They spend a
large part of their time in the cave wbera ,bar
are protected from the premature doom that
oVertakes many frogs before they have attained
the proper size.