The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1897-03-20
ON AN OYSTER BOAT.
Trim Little Vessels That Are Seen
on Chesapeake Bay.

Trim Little Vessels That Are seen |
on Chesapeake Bay.
How the Bivalvss Are DRAGGED ffe0 |
Their Salt Water Beds Tools and
Methods Of Work Of the Oystsr-
Asa-ssning the Cstch.
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 It's tributaries are
where the "beds" are located. To these
the ''sea farmer" or oysterman, goes,
loads up his boat with 'sseed, I" and. sail
ing to his grounds" throws of his
cargo Of young oysters. Infant. oysters
SO treated are called 'layovers."
Standing on the deck of each oyster
boat is a tall machine, consisting of two
iron uprights with reel mounted be-
tween them, at the end of which is
crank and q 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 a 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, c
bottle, a 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 IL
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 oystermen raise their
own seed. 1t is done by using the
oyster shells which have been opened
1T 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. se
When inshore oysters are taken into
deep water it is called transplanting.
After they have been about q 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 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 its loss in case its 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, Ash, seaweed and
oysters, are dumped on the deck. The
fish are thrown back in the water, but
if ssborers," "conks," or starRsh 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 &c
sails from daylight until dark.
i Before the dredge was invented .
wide rake, with curved teeth and long
handle, was let down into the beds
and by hand the oysters were haulec
ON deck. This was called "tonguing.
There is as wide difference between {
sstonpuing iron" and "dredge" n
there ia between hand scythe and I
two-horse reaper.
- From heaps of oysters on the decs
the best are separated from th'
ssplants," undergrown oysters ant
'strash." For this purpose the Guile
uses as slender hammer called "cull
ing iron" that is round at one end ant
hat at the other. With this he haul
the oysters towards him and knock
the clusters of oysters apart and sort
them into piles called cuttings, se
lccts" and s'extras." The plants" uu
der-grown, and empty shells are throwl
back, rs they help keep the "groun
above the mud" ''T
The night is always welcome to tn
oysterman, for his work Is hard, thoug
accompanied by much novelty. tn
coming up Of the dredge is always q
. tractive, for It's gatherings are neve
a1ikn