Omaha daily bee., 1885-01-08
FARMS NO EYE HAS SEEN.
Eastern Oyster-Beds and the Methods
OF Planting and Harvesting
the Crops.
New York Sun.

New York Sun.
Oysters are raised by cultivation, Just
as fruits and vegetables are. They are
found In all seas, in from four to six
fsthoms of water, and never at a great
distance from the shore. They are most
abundant in the quiet waters Of CULTS and
bays found at the mouths Of large rivers.
The principle sources of supply in the
United States are the Chesapeake bay,
New jersey coast and LongIslsnd sound.
Formerly the northern beds were almost
wholly kept by Restocking with seed
oysters from Chesapeake bay and the
Hudson river, but of late the oyster
reapers have secured the seed, or spat, as
the fishermen call 1t, during the spawning
season, and new grounds have been util.
lied until the area of the oyster beds can
be measured by townships and is con.
stantly extending.
Although there Is no such thing as buy.
ing the beds of any of the public waters,
yet oyster grounds are, in a manner
bought and sold in this way: A man or
a company will clear up q new place and
begin raising oysters. Ii these men
wish to go out of the business they sell
their squstter's right to their bed. The
right is recognized In the business, and
such a sale holds good by common con.
sent. The spat gathered in the spawn
ing season Is scattered over the bed from
which oysters have been gathered, or on
newly prepared ground, as the case may
be. Here 1t lies from one year to five or
six years. Rockaways lie about one year
and sounds from three to five years.
The increase Is from three to six baskets
or every one of spat. The chances az q
rule are in favor of a good crop, but the
oystermen have many things to contend
with, so 1t sometimes happens that when
they go to gather the oysters they find
either dead ones or none at all. The
oyster has Its natural enemies, such as
the drumfish and starfish, which destroy
a great many, and in the second place
the ground sometimes proves unsatis-
factory. Sometimes a heavy weight OF
grass grows fast to them, and, pressing
them down into the mud, smothers them,
or when they are on sandy soil a storm
will occasionally cover them entirely with
sand, However, with the constantly
improved methods of cultivation, means
are being continu ally devised for the bet
ter protection OF the oyster.
Two.thirds of the oysters now brought
into the New York market during the
summer and autumn come from the lower
bay, and are called sounds. The re.
mainder may be said to come from Rock
away, Blue point, and the East river.
The winter trade depends more or less on
the supply from Chesapeake bay, although
large quantities taken In the New York
waters are stored for winter use.
Down on West street, a few blocks
north of Canal street, a little fleet of
oyster boats, packed together like sardines
in a box, may be seen any day delivering
their cargoes. How one ever gets out is
a profound mystery. The boatmen thom-
selves say 1t often takes half a day to get
one clear of the rest. They are small,
single. masted, and each carries a lib.
They vary In length between thirty feet
and torty feet long. They cost between
$500 and $4,000 apiece, according to
their size and the manner In which they
are fitted up. There are also q great
many steam tugs engagedin the business.
Each boat usually carries five men. The
Wholesale dealers, who have their houses
upon RATS along the dock, own or have
an interest in most of these boats. One
dealer will often own a NJ nber of sail
boats, or an interest in several, and per-
hsps a number of tugs as we'll. There
are, however, many boats that are
owned by the men who sail them.
The boats usually stay out a week or six
days Each is provided with an oyster
tongs and dredge. At first, while the
oysters axe thick the men use the tongs.
Afterward they finish up by raking over
the ground with The d,edge. The dredge
is an iron rake in two sections, 1t has a
bag hanging from the back of it, made of
iron links. This is always held p by
an iron frame. Tho oysters, as they are
raked up by the teeth of the dredge, are
showed back into the bag until it is filled,
and then it is raised and its contents are
emptied on boatd. 1t is either dragged by
the sailboat with spread canva or worked
by steam.
When a boat has a load of oysters, which
is from LOCO to 5000, according to the
size of the C aft, it carries the oysters to a
waite logged crib. This is done in order
that the oysters may drink, and thus gain
a fine, plump appearance for market, and
also supply themselves with a circulating
fluid to stand long transportation. They
are usually put in the crib at ebb-tide, as
it is only then that oysters open. After
this other boats deliver them to the whole
sale dealers. Oysters ave classified accord
ing to their size, as extras, box, %cullins,
and cullcntines. Some of the dealers
open the oysters they handle, while others
simply deal in them in the shell. The
openers get 81 per ] 200 for opening the
oyste $, and II man can open from 5000
to 5000 a day.