Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 61, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 April 1909 — ILLINOIS TURTLE FARM. [ARTICLE]

ILLINOIS TURTLE FARM.

A mud turtle farm, which will also be devoted to the raising of mushrooms, gold fish and guinea'pigs, is the latest venture of the head of one of the big Western Railroads. President H. I. Miller of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois is the man who has hit upon this novel form of diversified farming as a relief cares, and he intends incidentally to show the formers of the grain belt guinea pigs will pay bigger dividends than even 80 cent corn. The farm is located at Barrington, a suberb of Chicago, and is a tract of rolling timbered -land. Numerous lagoons and roads are being dug at various points on the property and an elaborate system of irrigating ditches will be established. The guinea pig yards will cover several acres and will be the largest, it is expected, in the country. The mushrooms will be allowed to grow wild wherever they will in marshy spots and damp nooks in the woods. With the starting of the farm comes to light some interesting facts about a little known Industry. It is estimated that over 10,000 turtles are consumed annuallly in Chicago restaurants. Some of them are terrapin, but the greater part are mud turtles, soft shells and snappers. The demand for mushrooms is enormous.—Macomb Journal.