It is a source of great regret to us that we have not the 

 means to establish a model terrapin farm, so that tlie feasi- 

 bility of cultivating this great luxury, might be clearly de- 

 monstrated to those Avho. might visit it, and stimulate the 

 establishment of other, enterprises throughout our bay coast. 

 The liberality of the City, of Baltimore, and her Park Com- 

 missioners, has i)laced it in our power to daily instruct the 

 numerous persons who visit Druid Hill Hatching House in 

 the process of hatching and rearing trout, another of the luxu- 

 ries of the water, which are fast becoming unknown in vraters 

 in which they were once plentiful. 



There are liundreds of localities admirably situated in our 

 terrapin-producing regions, which could be made more pro- 

 ductive, acre for acre, than the best surrounding land, by the 

 establishment of terrapin ponds. 



These ponds might be constructed by fencing off the head 

 of one or two of the numberless inlets Avhich occur so fre- 

 quently in our lower bay, or throwing fences out into tlie 

 creeks, by driving boards down some seven or eight feet into 

 tlic mud, so as to prevent the possibility of the terra]nn bur- 

 rowing under them. The bottom of the pond should shelve 

 off to a depth of six or eight feet deejj in the creek or inlet, 

 and the fence should enclose a portion of sand bank extending 

 some dozen or more feet beyond high water mark in which 

 the adult terrapin can deposit their eggs. During the winter 

 season there should be a partition fence to prevent them from 

 coming into shallow water, as the ice which is formed on the 

 flood sometimes falls when the tide recedes, and crushes those 

 which are near shore. During the summer, floats should lie 

 anchored out in deep water, on which the terrapin could enjuy 

 the sun, and the fence should be removed, so as to allow them 

 to reach the sliore during the laying season, which is in the 

 latter part of .Tunc or in July. In addition to the larger 

 [)onds in whicli the stock terrapin are kept, there should bo 

 a smaller pond which could be used as a nursery. 



The female, when ready to lay her eggs, comes out of the 

 water beyond high water mark, and excavates with her liind 

 legs a neat hole in tlie sand, deposits, carefully covers, and 



