The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-07-29
DUTCH OYSTER CULTURE.
Interesting Industry Which Occupies
the People of Goes.

Interesting Industry Which Occupies
the People of Goes.
The industrious nature of the Dutch
women has long been proverbial, and
this in various departments of human
activity Not only are they expert III
all kinds of feminine accomplishments,
but also in manual labor of the heaY-
| lest sort, and the fathers and husbands
| look on with the utmost complacency
| at the toilings of their women FOLK.
| Thus. women are employed on a large
scale in the Dutch oyster fisheries,
where they perform the work which IN
other countries is the lot of the
stronger sex. Owing to this fact ana
the quaint costumes and primitive GUS
toms of the Dutch fisher folk in general,
the oyster culture in the Netherlands is
of more interest and offers larger ele-
mont of the picturesque than any other
in the Lowlands.
The old town of Goes is the center or
the oyster industry in Holland, and is
as quaint and primitive a place as can
be found in the Lowlands. Situated on
the island Of South Beolland, IN the
province of Zealand, Goes is entirely OH
the beaten route Of tourists. The whole
population, with few exceptions-men'
women and children-are engaged IN
fishing, and more particularly in the
oyster industry Entire families are
engaged in the cultivation of oysters
during the whole year for the oyster
beds demand unceasing work. Ihe
OYSTER women are a queer sight when
attired in their costume-especially
adapted for the purpose-tight fitting
red flannel knickerbockers, black
stockings, a shirt with sleeves rolled up
to the elbow, and a quaint sunoonnet
which thoroughly protects the mead
and neck
Though the inhabitants of Goes are
engaged all the year round in the oys-
ter industry, it is in April that the
most important part of their work is
done. 1t is then that the collectors
are placed in the oyster parks
These COLLECTORS" are curved tiles
about a foot long. which after being
carefully washed are covered with
layer of mortar. Thus prepared, the
collectors" are able to retain the oys-
ter ova known to fishermen as white
spat, Or naissains, as they are termed
in Holland. These embryos sre very
minute. and float about on the surface
of the water until they become affixed
to the collectors They are then
gathered into boxes eight feet long by
two feet In breadth and the tiles are so
arranged as to be constantly bathed by
the sea water. From three to four
hundred larvae are attached to single
collector"
In August the collectors are re-
moved from the "beds' and taken on
land to be put through a first process
of cleansing This operation, which IS
performed by women, is destined TO
cleanse the young oysters from all
kinds of shells which, becoming affixed
to the young oysters, might hinder
their growth. Once thoroughly
cleansed the tiles are replaced in the
boxes, where they remain until au-
tumn. The collectors are then once
more removed, and the oysters, which
are already the size of Twenty-Five
cent piece, are sufficiently strong TO
live alone, without being affixed 10
anything.
To remove the young oyster from the
COLLECTOR a special kind of scissors is
used. For this purpose the collectors
are placed in the middle OF large ia
BILE, around which the oyster men ana
women are gathered. The women, who
are far more dexterous than the men
in this matter hold the collector in
one hand while with the other they
carefully remove the mollusks and
throw them into baskets This opera
ton requires considerable skill, for, If
performed too hastily the thin shell of
the young oyster would be injured.
But, notwithstanding all the care that
is taken, there is always loss of from
20 to 20 per cent.