Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-10-10

pOlnWOS6, the Dig pOlHWOgS ate the
little pOlliwogs and the birds ate then
ALL,
At least one determined and scien
tine attempt has been made to solve
the frog-farming problem. The state
Of Pennsylvania went into the business
on a large scale few years ago, and
the experiment was watched with in
terest by scientists in all parts Of the
world. Although frogs were raised In
considerable numbers, and spawn dis
trtbuted all over the state, the bust
ness was not put on practical basis
either at the state hatcheries, or by
any of those who were encouraged by
the state authorities to 60 into it. The
man who had charge of the expert
ments said that they left him hopeful
of successfully working out the prob
lem at some future time.
But chiefly. the experiments demon.
strated that frog raising is beset by a
wilderness Of dimculties. 1t is easy
to gather the eggs and put them in
the ponds. Then the polliwogs hatch.
Now II there ID the slightest bit of
crowding among the polliwogs. some
of them will die. This will generate
gases, which will kill the other polli-
WOES. All Of them will swell up and
burst. their skins will sink to the bot.
tom and be buried in the mud. So it
may happen that a pond containing
ten thousand polliwogs in the morning
will not contain one that night.
Furthermore the polliwog has q
number of natural enemies. One Of
~ L.
which fastens upon and kills the crea-
ture. The other IL the larva of the
water beetle, q hideous little monster,
which kills the polliwoE with its great
mandibles. When pond becomes in.
tested with these creatures, they must
be Immediately hunted out with dip
nets and killed
Furthermore. your ponds must be
completely surrounded by frog-proof
fences. 1t is a curious fact that after
living quietly and happily in one pond
for months. frogs will take sudden
notion to move, and the next day will
be found cheerfully singing in pond
half mile away. Since It is impos.
sible for you to brand frogs, this ten
dency to migrate in the dark of the
moon makes it hard for you to be sure
OF your livestock unless 1t is we'll
fenced in. And a frog-proof fence
must be at least two feet high, and
capped with combing which projects
inward: for frog can climb over al
most anything that Is merely perpen-
dicular. Furthermore. he will spend
hours trying climbing up and falling
back without getting at all discour-
aged. So II there is any gap in your
fence. every frog Is going to get out
sooner or later.
There are three kinds of frogs in
the United States that are edible The
bull frog is the most valuable of these,
and also the hardest to raise because
he is naturally solitary creature,
and does not get along in crowds. The
green frog Is also good to eat. but not
much better to raise. The little Loop
I'D frog is easier to raise because he
Is naturally gregarious little chap,
with f0ndness for singing in chorus
He Is small, however. that he is not
good for much except bass halt In
some regions. lot of money can be
made raising him and selling him to
sportsmen for just that purpose.
This article merely suggests some
of the dimculties that confront the
wbuld.be frog culturist. Doubtless
Cr. Wright will discover some more.
II you think you are clever.
and have puddle in your back yard,
here is something to work ION. Some.
body is going to solve the frog prob. ]
em and get rich.