St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1891-04-25
OYSTER SHELLS.


Quantities Are Put.
1t has been estimated that 2S, OO0, ,00l
bushels Of oysters are opened annually
In the United States, and that this rep
resents an accumulation Of shell!
amounting to not less than sa3, SOC, ,OOt
cubic feet. which if spread out would
cover a space of more than 45O. 600 yard,
square to a depth of three feet.
No doubt the majority Of persons who
have assisted in eating the oysters con
tanned In this enormous amount OF
shells seldom give q thought as to what
becomes of these rough, uncouth COW
erings. A few, perhaps, If questioned
on the subject, would be likely to re
ply that the only way in which
they had seen them utilized was in fill
ing up and making roads, embankments
and wharves. Nevertheless, this is but
one of their many uses, as they are ex-
tensivcly employed in making stools
for new oyster beds. by spreading them
on the bottom of the bays and other
bodies Of water in which oysters are
propagated, thus forming a bed upon
which the spawn settles and grows into
maturity. They are also converted into
lime. serve as ballast for vessels, and
made into fertilizers In addition to
this they play an important part in the
poultry yard, where, in a powdered
form, they are much sought after by
those engaged in raising fowls of every
kind.
The early colonists used nothing but
oyster-shell lime, and in many parts of
New England there still exist mills and
kilns devoted entirely to the industry
of converting the shells into that ma
terial. They have been used in max
ing . hydraulic cement. when mixed
with clay and magnesia, and gave per-
feet satisfaction, not only in laying
drains. coating cisterns and the like,
but also in making garden vases, fount-
aims and other ornamental objects ex-
posed to the elements.
That these shells have been used for
fertilizing purposes for hundreds of
years is evidenced by the fact that
even now, in some portions of
Canada, what is called ..musscl-
mud" is dug out of the remains of
extinct oyster-beds by huge machines
adopted to the purpose, and spread in
thick layers over the land. This is
merely q survival of an old custom, as
we are told that in early times they
were laboriously dredged out and used
for the same purpose.
Mr.. Ernest Ingersoll, a noted author
ity on the history of this favorite
bivalve, states that ''along Pamlico
in North Carolina, when the
weather becomes warm and there is no
for their boats, the fisher
men rake up boat loads of rough
bunch or coon oysters and carry them
10 the farmers to be sold and used rs q
fertilizer, for which from three to five
cents q bushel is paid" These coon
oysters are seldom eaten, but are found
in immense quantities in Southern
waters, every stake, bit of sunken log,
Or the branches of fallen trees being
loaded down with them.
In the Northern and Easern States the
immense mounds of oyster, clam and
mussel shells found in various localities
along the coast prove inexhaustible
mines for agriculturists, who use them
IS q top-tlressing for their farms. In the
Of Damariscotta, Me-,
there are mounds which are estimated
10 contain not less than 1000. 900 cubic
feet Of shclls-a lasting monument to
The rcd mans partially for crustaceous
food- Prior to being used the shell
must be burned, which is done in rude,
kilns- A very amusing
story is told BY Mr.. Ingcrsoll relative
10 the discovery Of an old kiln which
was thought BY its scientific finders to
be IN aboriginal house until they found
he half of q well-baked brick at the
bottom of the structurc.-Dctroit Free
Press.