The Irish standard., 1895-04-20
ON AN OYSTE BOA
Trim Little Vessels ThatsAre Seen
on Chesape AXE Bay.


.s
These vessels are usually manned by
four or FIVE men and cook. A good
supply Of food is always taken on board
before leaving port, but should thisrun
short there are plenty of the choicest
oysters to be. had for the opening.
In Chesapeake bay, says the Wash
ington Post, the oyster is indigenous,
and there and in its tributaries are
where the sbeds" are located. To these
the ''sea farmer" or oysterman, goes,
loads up his boat with 'sseed, }" and, sail
ing to his grounds" throws off his
cargo of young oysters Infant oysters
SO treated are called stlayovers."
Standing on the deck of each oyster
boat is tall machine, consisting Of two
iron uprights with reel mounted be-
tween them, at the end of which is q
crank and system of cogs and
ratchets. This is the ''winder." Coiled
around the winder is an iron chain, to
which is attached the "dredge." The
dredge is made of an iron rod and bag
shaped web Of interviewer iron rings,
and row of teeth fastened to the
tooth bar is near the lower end. At the
side of the boat are long iron rollers,
over which the chain and dredge rolls,
dredge catches and ''chocks." Such is
the tackle used for the planting, trans
planting. and catching of the oyster.
The spawn of the oyster is deposited
during the summer and adheres to some
object in the water. An old shoe, a
bottle, lost anchor, or the cast-of
shell of crab is as good as anything
for the young oyster to cling to until he
has the nerve to let go and paddle his
own canoe. In about two weeks it is
apparent to the eye that these objects
have become covered with enterprising
young oysters. A single oyster shell
will hold hundreds of them. In a year
they are as large as a nickel, and in
three years they will be marketable.
A great many oystermen raise. their
own seed. It is done by using the
oyster shells which have been opened
at the restaurants and bringing them
to their beds, where they are thrown
overheard. This is done usually be-
tween July and August. The spawn
adhering to these shells soon forms
thrifty young oysters.
When inshore oysters are taken into
deep water it is called transplanting.
After they have been about a month in
deep water they are gathered for the
market. Sometimes strong -winds so
cover these transplanted oysters with
sand and mud that the dredgers can
not reach them. Some oysters are
marketable in a year, while others re-
quire from two to five years.
When the oyster boat arrives at the
''grounds' the anchor is cast and the
dredge thrown overheard. A rope is
always attached to the dredge to pre-
vent it's loss in case it's chain breaks.
Then the anchor is shipped" sail set,
and the boat sails over the grounds,
dragging the dredge behind. When
she is drought to" the cranks turn
and the rafting chain brings slowly to
the surface the dredge and its catch.
It is hauled aboard over the roller, and
it's contents, consisting Of crabs, craw-
fish, young sharks, fish, seaweed and
oysters, are dumped on the deck. The
fish are thrown back in the water, but
if "borers,' ''conks," or starfsh are
found they are killed, for they destroy
the oyster. The dredge is dumped
overheard again and the boat sails
back over the same ground, and SO
sails from daylight until dark.
Before the dredge was invented a
wide rake, with curved teeth and a long
handle, was let down into the beds,
and by hand the oysters were hauled
on deck. This was. called ''tonguing."
There is as wide difference between a
.4tonguing from and ''dredge" as
there is between hand scythe and a
two-horse reaper.
From heaps of oysters on the deck
the best are separated from the
plants undergrown oysters and
trash" For this purpose the cutler
uses as slender hammer called a ''cull-
ing IRON" that is round at one end and
fiat at the other. With this he hauls
the oysters towards him and knocks
the clusters of oysters apart and sorts
them INTO piles called cuttings" ''se-
lects" and extras The 'plants," UNI
der-grown, and empty shells are thrown
back, as they help keep the ground
above the mud"
The night is always welcome to the
+oysterman, for his work is hard, though
accompanied by much novelty. The
coming up of the dredge is always at
tractive, for its gatherings are never
alike.