The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1889-02-01
PLANTING OYSTERS FOR
PROFIT.
when to do II, and How to do 1t


When 10 do IL, and How to do !
K Editor Democrat Star
AZ The planting of oysters lc
, Commercial purposes is engagin
+ the AtlenLioA OF many of the oil
; citizens aud new corners, and q
we desire 10 see success crow
their efforts, | will give you, brieI
~, the mode aud manner | hay
adopted after the experience G
planting a few thousand barrels il
the spring of 1888, and my oh
seryations OH that important sub
ject:
If possible select some island
bay or bayou, with from four fee
to six inches of waterat low tide
In fact, out of about 5000 barrel
we have already planted. fouI
Thousand are entirely out of The
water at our extreme low tides
and The oysters i'll The shallow wa.
ter grow as fast as those in the
deep, are much latter and ready
tor market earlier in the season
The reason, | suppose, for that, i,
the fresh water after rains, and all
of 1t that drains opt ofthe marshes
passing down the streams where
the oysters rare planted, those in
the shallow water get more OF 1t
than those IN the deep. But | be-
heve it is safest to have water on
them at all times, ii possible, for
a severe freeze might kill Orln-
jure more or less Of them.
Select, if possible, for the plant.
ing ground IA hard bottom with Il
few Inches Of muddy substance on
it, moi over SIX inches deep. Or
hat character Of land about 800
barrels to The acre can be planted.
But if the bottom is soft, like the
most of our bays and bayOus, not
over 600 barrels TO the acre should
be planted, as it is "A well-known
fact that the mud in our shallow
bay0us during the hot summer
months rises several inches higher
than il is in the witer, and if the
oysters are planted too thick, with
the increased weight and natural
expansions, many oysters will be
covered and will die.
| have abandoned the mode OF
planting from the boats that bring
the oysters from the natural reefs
TO the plant bed, as many Of the
oysters planted from boats are
thrown i'll piles or very unevenly
planted, and many vacant ~llaceS
are left on The plant bed. II the
planters will use small flats, car
rying about so barrels they will
find that it is less trouble TO ham
die the oysters from them than to
have TO r~e-Scatler The piles shovel
ed out by the large boats. Take
stakes about SIX feet long and
stake them on the plant bed in
rows about 20 feet apart ; take the
flats along The outside Of one row
and shovel t0sthe centre OF The two
rows When that side is finished
take the other slde--neXt row, and
again shovel tOthe centre. After
that middle planted change The
outside row of stakes 30 feet fur
Their. Two rows Of stakes is all
that will be necessary for the
whole plant ground, as the fiat
compass over the oysters already
planted on one side. Two men
can shovel ont 80 barrels in a few
minutes, and by moving the fiat
every time after the middle OF a
few stakes are planted, The oysters
will be well planted and nothing
but negligence can prevent it.
Many ask The question, how do
you get the bills or mouths of The
oysters up, and in the same posi-
ton it came from the reef? Ma
ture has provided Tor that, as the
oyster is naturally shaped like a
fan, and the lower part oil the hinge
is twice as heavy as the other end.
In water one foot deep they will
turn and Int the bottom right side
up, but in planting large punches
they will not turn in less than lhree
feet Of water; but should the
bunch fall on its side, by some
means they will turn up all right
in a few days.
The oyster planter should be
governed by The same rule that
the tiller OF The soil, Is not TO plant
too thick, for it he does he will
find, when too late, that Instead of
having large, we'll developed stock
he will have small and inferior
quality Of very little commercial
value. And, then, he will raise
the cry, no money in planting oys
ters, when his neighbor who OBJ
serves the rules of nature is max
ing money and fast, at that. To
be continued. ~
JOHN M. PELHAM.
Scranton, Miss, Jan. rs, 1889.