The semi-weekly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1879-1882, 1881-10-17

Now as We row into the larger feet,
to hunt for the yacht on which We
were to spend the day, all is activity
and hurry, as an hour in the morning
is worth days sometimes after tie
FIRST day is past. The number Of
oystermen is usually not less than
500 to 1000 and the "beds" are very
thoroughly gone over in short time
BY this regiment of grapplers. The
seed oysters are of two kinds with re-
spect to their size and, are called
"blisters and plants, the blisters being
the plant in its simplest form, attach
ed to something else, with but one
shell and usually not larger than a
five cent nickel, while the plants have
two shells and some of them are large
enough to make very fair market
oysters. A good grappler can life up
from fifteen to Fifty bushels Of plants
per day, for which he can get from
30 to 40 CITE. per bushel right at the
beds, as very many Of the boats come
there to buy plants. From the nast's
head Of the buyers an oyster basket
hangs, to show that there is market
for those who want to sell.
The extent of the beds 10 Great
Bay il Aboat six miles in length by q
half mile in width, this bay is said to
be the best fishing and oystering
ground along the coast Of New Jersey.
So nicely adapted to the successful
growth Of the bivalves does the bay
seem to be that it 10 said by those
who plant that blisters planted in the
fall have come in the market in
eighteen months, while usually it
takes fair sized plants from two to
three years to grow to good market
able oysters. The usual increase in
price per bushel in two years being
about 125 per cent.
The resources of this fine bay both
with respect to the natural beds, and
the sbottoms" used for planting are
% yet comparatively uudsveloped, as
the best plants seem to be in deep
water where it requires twenty eight
feet tongs TO reach them.
Awaiting ourself Of the free hearted
hospitality Of several Of the yaehtmeu
We went on board their boat and fully
equipped with oyster knife and crack
ers we enjoyed the succulent bivalves
fresh from the natural beds, in .
manner unknown to those who have
not had them fresh from the water.
Az we rowed around among the "gar-
viss" (ths boats from which they
gfapple) apd noticed the manner in
shich they drew the oysters up we
noticed they had board about three
feet square across the back end Of the
boat called the '.cuL board" on which
they threw the oysters 30 that the
shells might be sorted out and thrown
overheard in accordance with the
law OF our State which forbids Dump
ing or the carrying away of all the
shells that may have blisters attached
TO them. The oyster in It's first
stages Of growth will fssten itself on
anything that will give it q solid
place to adhere to, aud We noticed .
q mall tin can covered inside and oul
with small plants and blisters and the
man TO whom We were talking said he
had seen bottles filed full Of bIisters
hence the wisdom Of the law (if il
was obsyed) in not allowing all the
shells to be taken away as the oyster
must have something to fasten to in
order to grow.
The beak Of the oyster fresh from
the water, has a very sharp edge and
an ordinary landsmsn Is sure to pay
for his privilege Of opening them,
BY the shedding of his own blood,
The first day Of the season being
practically over BY two o'clock, the
Captain Of our boat took advantage
Of . stiff breeze that was blowing up
the river and with A bushels Of
plants on board, under q reefed sail
We sailed up the river and anchored
at the landing, well satisfied that life
on the bay, Occasionally, is both
healthy and enjoyable. ]. B. q.
New Gretna, N. J.
sss-