FROG CULTURE 223 



no attempt is made to separate tadpoles, young 

 frogs, and frogs of mature market size. One 

 man in Michigan, who had been carrying on the 

 industry for 25 years, finally abandoned it as 

 unprofitable "because the big frogs ate the 

 little frogs, the little frogs ate the poUywogs, 

 the large poUywogs ate the small poUywogs, and 

 birds ate botii." Frog culture is, therefore, a 

 decided risk. 



Site. — It seems probable that a profitable 

 frog-farm requires three acres or more of land. 

 About two acres ought to be occupied by a 

 single pond ; and a similar area by half a dozen 

 or more smaUer bodies of water for tadpoles and 

 immature frogs. Any swampy or low-lying tract 

 through which a stream of water flows wUl 

 answer the purpose. The stream need be only 

 sufficient to keep the ponds from becoming stag- 

 nant and foul. Water enough to fill a four- 

 inch pipe will furnish an ample supply for a 

 plant of three acres, and perhaps for one of 

 six acres. It is unimportant whether the sup- 

 ply is secured directly from a spring or from 

 a brook, and repeated roUiness is not harmful 

 to either tadpoles or frogs. 



