The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-07-25
THE MON ITO r.

period is about ten years, though thirty year
old oysters are not unknown. Its age, IN
fact. can be made out with some difficulty by
counting the annual layers of limy matter IN
its shell, Just as the age of tree is discovered
by counting the layers of wood in the trunk.
THE AMERICAN OYSTER BEDS.
The natural beds of the European oyster
are almost completely exhausted, and depend
ence is there placed mainly on artificial beds
This is far from being the case IN America,
though artificial culture has been long since
introduced Of the natural beds may be men
toned that of Long Island Sound, which is
fully lis miles in length. Other prolific beds
exist in the Chesapeake. and in the waters of
Virginia. which state is said to possess 2, 000,
600 acres of oyster beds. Yet the most pro-
life of our natural beds is that on the coast of
Georgia Here the oysters exist IN such vast
muititudes as to form natural breakwaters on
the coast firm enough to ehectually resist the
pressure of tides and waves. In this respect
they may be compared with the coral reefs
which surround many of the Pacific islands
Inward from the coast there extends re-
zion of salt marsh of from twelve to eighteen
miles in width. through whose fiat expanse
lazy rivers meander slowly towards the sea.
Strangely enough these slow streams flow
through banks of living oysters, which cling
in multitudes to their sides and even invade
the marsh region beyond 1t is said that in
some of these streams 100-ton vessel might
be fully loaded within a space of three times
its own length
OYSTER FISHING.
As to the methods by which oysters are
taken it is hardly necessary to mention the
familiar ones of the tongs and the dredge
The latter is the usual method, the dredge re-
sembling large iron claw, whose downward
bent teeth scrape the bottom of the sea or bay.
To the claw is attached an iron meshed bag
large enough to hold two or three bushels
This instrument is dragged over the oyster
bed by the force of vessels moving at easy
sail, the clusters of oysters being torn loose
from their clinging places by the claw and
deposited in the bag.
There are other less known methods OF
/ taking oysters. At the island of Mnorca, in
/ the Mediterranean, they are dived for IN the
same method as pearl oysters are obtained.
The diver descends to depth often of doz-
en- fathoms hammer in hand and knocks
loose with his right as many oysters as he can
clasp in his left hand, with which he quickly
rises to the surface. Thus two divers are
! kept going until their boat is filled.
An easier method is that pursued on tropic-
al shores, where the oysters attach themselves
profusely to the roots of the mangrove and
other water loving trees. These oysters are
/ larger and finer than those on the bottom, and
to obtain plentiful meal it is only necessary
/ to cut off root with the blow of a Ratchet,
/ fling it over the shoulder, with the oysters
clinging to it like grapes to their stem, and
walk home shouldering bushel of the juicy
bivalves. The negroes of San Domingo have
/ the habit of serving the oysters on their tables
still attached to the roots, like grapes of the
sea.
A singular method of oyster fishing is that
practiced by the raccoon This sbrewd ami
NAL takes a stroll along the shore at low tide,
/ looking for an oyster that has been deserted
/ by the waves On discovering one he waits
/ quietly until 1t opens its lips, when in goes
his paw The shell instantly closes and nips
the intruding paw, but this is just what MIR.
Coon wants. He runs quickly ashore with
his prize, smashes its shell on the nearest
stone and devours his prey with all the relish
of a human gourmand Cases have been OBJ
served, however, in which the tables were
decidedly turned. The oyster is sometimes
too firmly fixed to be dragged loose, and in
this case the adventurous coon finds himself
in sad plight. The oyster will neither come
nor let CO. The tide rises inch by inch
Slowly the unlucky FISHERMAN is overwhelmed
/ by the swelling waves, and loses his life in his
effort to obtain an epicurean meal. 1t is a
marked instance of ''the bitter bit"
The fishing proclivities of the raccoon are
not confined to the oyster The cunning
creature goes crab-fshing in a somewhat sim
liar manner. For this purpose it uses it's tail
as a fishing line, drops it into the water, and
waits quietly until some investigating crab
makes an assault with his nipDerS ON the liv-
ing bait Instantly the tail is jerked out of
the water, and usually the crab with it. AS
to the subsequent fate of the crab nothing
need be said 1t can be left to the readers
imagination. - Charles Morris IN Public