Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-03-13
Oyster Oulture.

Oyster culture in this state is an i'm
portant feature among its industries,
and gives employment to large
number of men, not only in caring for
and cultivating the beds, but in watch
ing and guarding the same, while even
larger number are kept busy in
culling, packing and opening the BIZ
valves. The oyster in its native state
seeks no particular place for home
but grows wherever it finds some sub
stance on the bottom of the river to
rest on and cling to. In its infancy it
lis called seed" next in its youth it is
called plant" and later, or when two
or three years old. it becomes aregular
oyster, and according to its size receives
different names, appropriate for the
uses for which they are intended. such
as "platers," .'half-shellers," ''roast-
ers" and ''stewers." The 'fancy" and
'box" oysters are those culled out or
selected on account of their size, and
are usually shipped in the she'll. They
are high in price. bringing IS barrel,
and are in great demand.
The native oyster in its natural state,
was, and in fact is now stronger in
taste than its cultivated brother, and
does not have that delicacy of taste
which epicures so delight in. The
native oyster also did not propagate
rapidly enough to supply the demand,
and the dealers were forced to COM
mence the cultivation of the fish, and
this led to the
LEASING OF BEDS,
and planting of seed upon them. There
are very large number of these beds,
ranging in size from one to 100 acres.
The largest number of acres leased by
any one firm is 225, and from these
yearly are taken 10000 bushels of
oysters. The cost of the best are $40 per
acre and then they are planted with from
one to two thousand bushels of seed each
year, the seed costing from 60 cents to
one dollar per bushel. Some of this
is Virginia seed, but the majority is
natural and grows in and round the
harbors, rivers and small bays leading
the bay itself. Seed planted in the
spring becomes fit for market the fol-
lowing fall and winter. while seed put
on the beds, in the fall, by year from
the next winter become fancy oysters.
Every oyster dealer has keeper in
charge of his beds and he is assisted by
from four to twelve men, who catch the
oysters and Gull or sort them for
market, plant the seed and watch the
beds. Yet, Notwithstanding the fact that
they take the greatest care to guard
the property from thieves, watching it
day and night, oysters are sto.en and
shipped away, and no one knows who
the guilty parties are. There are
various methods of thieving, some of
the nefarious work being done by day
and some by night. In conversation
with gentlemen who have had expert
ence with the thieves, the methods
were detailed as follows: Most of the
stealing by night is done with oyster
tongs, the fishermen choosing dark
and foggy nights, going directly on to
the beds, to places where they know the
largest and best oysters are, and there
deliberately use their tongs and ill
their boats. Although the beds are
patrolled good part of the time, yet
while watchman Is in one end t4e
thieves are at work on the other and
before he returns they have
MADE A GOOD HAUL,
and move OFT until he goes back down
the line. Foggy nights are the best
nights for work, for then ii the watch
man is more than 200 feet away, he
cannot hear the thieves at work. The
common method employed, however is
that used by alleged scaltopmen. They
sail along the ends OF the beds, and
when the Waterman is LOCO or 50 feet
away they cut inside OF the line of
stakes, with tneir scallop dredge out,
and cutting across the beds, haul in
their dredges and empty out the oysters
in order that they may repeat the trick.
Unless some one Is on shore, in a direct
line with the boundary line of the bed,
he cannot tell when boat is 100 feet
inside the stakes. Providence Sunday