Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1895-08-29

merciless dredge, they, two will have con-
tributed their quota to the oyster popula-
ton.
The great oyster producing section lies
between the southern part of New Jersey
and half way down the North Carolina
coast. South of that the oysters are ever
more plentiful thar above, but they have
not been farmed and cultivated as carefully.
In the regular oyster communities, that
Is the villages and small towns supported
by the oyster industry. and there are
scores OF them, the care of the oyster is
officially regulated by an association, Of
which all the oyster men are members.
Each colony has its annual meeting for
the election of officers. The captain Of
each boat obtains a yearly. licence from
the collector Of the association, the usual
charge being a dollar per ton, for the bur-
then of his craft. The association pro-
tects the oyster farms from the %depredations
of outsiders, and sees that none of the
members take unfair advantage of the
others.
AN OYSTER COLONY.
Five hundred boats makeu up a prosperous
colony, each craft carrying q crew of four
men. Large forces CT men are employed
by the shippers on shore, so that In a small
place the oyster gives employment to 9, 800
or 5000 men. They make fair earnings,
and, in the main, are Oid-fashioned, hard
working folk, careful and industrious,
whose f~Orefathers were ovstermen, and
whose great-grandchildren will probably be
the same. They have comfortable homes
and are In the main, Americanst to the core,
and have an absorbing love and faith in
their country.
These folk are interesting, but SO Is the
oyster. A majority of people think that
the bivalyo Is aa untained product OF the
sea. As . matter Of fact, he Is ~ carefully
attended TO % potatoes or corn by the skill
full farmer. The planting time OF the
oyster Is in the spring and the harvesting
time In the fall and until the next spring.
But the plants Of one spring are not gath
cred until the fall OF three years later.
THE PLANTING TIME.
When the harvesting time Is over 1t the
end OF March. the oysterman begins to
plant. His first work is to stake out his
farm. The deck Of his sl0op Is piled up
with stakes, usually scrub oaks. twenty
fest In length. denuded Of Ill their branches
except those at the top. The first work is
to select his garden. The captain gets 1
range BY some object on shore. and then
proceeds to stake of about twenty or
twenty-five acres. Stakes are driven in
the bottom at each Of the four corners and
Z half q dozen at intermediate points of
the square.
TO the novice it is q matter OF wonder
how the skipper can sail into his own par
tlcular garden every morning, when there
are FIVE hundred others seemingly like Il,
in the n~eighb0rhood. The frail stakes pro-
tect the owner from intrusion as securely
rs II his garden were surrounded by q stone
wall. This is part Of the morality Of the
oysterman. All the planting is done be-
tween April ! and june Is.
WHERE THE sEED 10 OBTAINED.
Certain natural beds ale set apart by the
association, and here the planting seed h
ootained. Three bushels . day Il the
aaxinum allowed each member. The
oyster seed Il the milk or spar or SHAWN,
which d depCeited duning The summer go