The herald., 1895-09-08

four corners and half dozen at inter-
mendiate points of the square.
To the novice it is matter OF wonder
how a skipper can sail into his own par
tcular garden every morning, when there
are five hundred others seemingly like 1t
in the neighrborhood. The frail stakes
protect the owner from intrusion as
securely as if his garden we're surrounded
by stone wall. This is part of the
morality of the FISHERMAN. All the plant
ing is done between April LIST and June
18th.
Certain natural beds are set apart by
the association, and here the planting
seed Is obtained. Three bushels day is
the maximum allowed each member.
The oyster seed is the milk or spat or
spawn, which is deposited during the
summer season and adheres to some Oh
ject in the water This liquid, which
is really the baby oyster, hardens slowly.
When the baby oyster has reached the
age when its shell begins to form he set
ties down TO the responsibilities of life.
He first finds something that he can
cling to. His mother is of no assistance
to him, as her hildren are too numerous
for any individual care. He selects, per-
baps dead startish, chunk of iron, an
old boot, a cracked bottle, lost anchor
or anything else handy, and holds on to
it until he feels strong enough to begin
the battle of life.
By the novice, the spawn would never
be recognized. 1t is usually deposited on
empty shells, but close examination OF
these show hundreds OF tiny brown
specks. Each fieck is baby oyster.
These shells are thrown into the garden.
In year after planting they will be as
large the narrow way as nickel; in two
years half dollar won cover them while
in three years it is pro bable that dollar
will be required to purchase 100 of them
in New York. and every one of them will
exceed the dollar in size. All this when
the oyster has fair chance to grow. He
is truly tiny morsel when he begins his
career and although full OF energy. seems
to know how trail he is. This makes him
clannish, sociable or sometimes grasping,
as you may please to understand it.
From June Is until Septembe the
FISHERMAN have q rest. When tie har-
vesting time beigns, the boats on the oys-
ter field seems possessed OF some demon
which drive them hither and thither in
most remarkable way. They tack, gibe,
90 about. race back and forth over their
respective gardens, with maddening
haste.
All the boats are fitted with dredge
and windlass. The dredge is an iron
affair, over three feet, shaped like the
human hand when the fingers are ben. in
toward the palm. The windlass is a tall
machine, composed of two iron uprights.
with strong reel mounted between
them. At each end OF the ieel is large
iron crank and system of coes and
ratchets. Coiled around the reel is an
iron chain. the end OF which is fastened
to the dredge. When the dredge is thrown
overheard and the boat put in motion,
it scoops in everything along the bottom
which comes in its way.
When the boat is headed into the wind
and slowed up. the drvdge is hauled in.
Crabs, small sharks, founders and al
manner of things arc drawn in with the
oysters. All but the latter ale thrown
back into the water. If any starlish.
''borers" or ''conks" are caught they are
killed. as they destroy the oyster.
While the dredge is again in the water
two of the crew attend to the 'culling."
Oysters of small size and under age are
thrown back. Only those OF the recog-