Arizona silver belt., 1895-06-08
ON AN OYSTER BOAT.
Trim Little Vessels That Are Sc on
 on Chesape ake Bay.
How tue Biysives Arc Dragged from Their Salt Water Beda - Tools and Methods of Work of the Oyster
 men-SelIing the Catch.

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 this run 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 beds" are located To these the ''sea farmer" or oysterman, goes, loads up his boat with 'seed, and, sail ing to his grounds" throws off his cargo of young oysters Infant oysters 50 treated are called 'layovers.
 Standing on the deck of each oyster boat is q tall machine, consisting of two iron uprights with reel mounted be. tween them, at the end of which is crank and a 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 a bag. shaped web of intcrwoven 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 aud 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, q bottle, lost anchor, or the cast-off shell of a 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 year they are as large as nickel, and in three years they will be marketable.
 A great many oysterJnen 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 overboard This is donG usually be tween July and August. The spawn Rdhcring to these shells soon forms thrifty young oysters.
 When inshorc oysters are taken into deep water it is called transplantiug After they have been about month iu deep water they are gathered for the market. Sometimes strong winds so cover these transplanted oysters with sand and mud that the dredgcrs can. not reach them. Some oysters are marketable in 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 ore. vent it's loss m 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 i3 brought to" the cranks turn and the rattling chain brings slowly to the surface the dredgc and its catch. 1t is hauled aboard over the roller, and its 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," "conlls,n or starfsh are found they are killed, for they destroy the oyster. The dredge is dumped l overheard again and the boat sails back over the same ground, and 50 sails from daylight until dark.
 Before the dredge was invented 6 l wide rake, with curved teeth and hong handle, was let down into the beds and by hand the oysters were hauled | on deck. This was called "tonguipg 7 There is as wide difference between a "tonguing iron" and "dredge" as there is between a hand scythe and Q | two-horsc reaper.
 From heaps of oysters on the deck the best are separated from the plants undergrown oysters and
 trash For this purpose the culle, uses as slender hammer called "cull ing iron, that is round at one end and l aat at the other With this he haul. .he oysters towards him and knock. the clusters of oysters apart and sort. them into piles called "cullingS,n ''se | lects" and extras" The plants un ,lergrown. and empty shellsare throwr back, as they belp keep the "grounC above the mud
 The night is always welcome to tn, oystcrman, for his work is hard, thougl accompanied by much novelty Tn, coming up of the dredge Is always at tractive, for its gatherings are nevel alike.