The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-02-14
FRENCH OYSTERS.
Look Bilious. Taste Brassy and Make
an American Homesick.

"Oysters," says Albion w. Tourgee.
our consul at Bordeaux, ARE n luxury in
Europe. The natural beds have been ex-
hausted, as the American beds rapidly
are becoming. and artificial culture has
long been depended upon for supply Of
this luscious bivalve. The chief breeding
ground in France is the Bassin d'Arca-
chon, a triangular tidal bay, about nine
miles on each side, entirely landlocked
and opening out of the Goife de Gas
coigne ebay of Biscay) into the depart
ment of Gironde by q narrow channel
about three miles in length. The coast
is sandy and deserted. A solid forest Of
maritime pines. hand planted in this CEN
fury, has checked the inland march Of
the sand dunes and protects the basin
from the southwest winds, which blow
so out of the 80 weeks OF each year.
1.-THE shallow bay is networked with
navigable channels, between which at
low tide rise the half clay, half sand fats
utilized for breeding the succulent mol
lusk. During the low spring tides the
fats are covered with quantities of q
cheap variety of ordinary roofing tile,
which previously has been coated with a
sort of coarse whitewash. The spawn
brought in by high water catches on
these tiles, and the lime of the white
wash helps the little mollusk to form his
first shell.
Toward winter these tiles are taken
up and carefully scraped. The oysters,
as large now as ones thumb nail, are
spread in fat covered trays, or baskets,
of closely woven osier to protect them
from the starfsh, crabs and other enc
mics, and moved nearer the salt marshes
on the east side of the basin, to grow.
When they have become little accus-
toned to an independent existence. they
are placed in trenches. little below wa
ter level, which are provided with sluice
gates, by which they can be flooded at
will.
They thus are prevented from being
chilled in winter or dried up In summer
and are protected easily from enemies.
the gates being covered with wire netting
Of fine mesh. But the primary aim Of
the gates Is to accustom them to being
deprived Of water-that is, TO teach them
to keep their valves tightly closed when
out of IT, In about s18 months their edu-
cation In that respect Is complete, and
they are raked up. barreled and sent on a
journey OF several days to the copper
rocks at Marenues, France. and to Whit
stable, England. to fatten and assume
the bilious green tint and brassy favor
demanded by Europeans. About 25O.-
600. 900 are shipped annually. The work
on the beds il done by barefooted men
and women, both clad in bright crimson
knee breeches and sweaters, which rem
der the sexes quite indistinguishable. The
regular trenches and bikes. kept In place
with spiles interiaced with wattles, look
like a Dutch garden
ITO one accustomed to the plump,
clean white and gray American biyalve
the dabby, yellow or greenish European
specimen is not inviting. The shells are
Dat, thin, Irregular and as Shiny and cor
rugated as an old barnacle. while the In
mates are about the size and thickness
of a so cent piece for q five inch shell
On the spot they sell from 7 to 10 cents a
dozen. Elsewhere they command more,
and the greener the higher price.
"Oysters are never eaten here except on
the half shell. A suggestion to put them
into soup or patties, to scallop or stew
them, shocks French chef as a PROPOSE
ton to broil a watermelon would Caro-
linn cook. think pan roast would
be regarded here as little less than sacri-
lege. Even when by much persistence
you have achieved some form of cooked
oyster the chances are infinite that the
most noticeable result will be fit OF
Inconsistencies caused by regretful memo
ries Of the delicious Blue Points or sue
culent Lynn Haven Bays. II Is to be
hoped that our oyster men will learn and
practice the art OF propagating and nour-
ishing the oyster SO as to preserve both
its superior size and favor. New YoEh
Press.