St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1901-01-05
how DUTCH RAISE OYSTERS.
Infinite Patience Is Exercised tn7
Bringing Up the Bivalve
by Hand. A Y

6 1 44s, l. g
by Hand.
| The perennial discussion over the
Iauestion of the cultivation and pro-
lection of oysters along the shores OF
the Chesapeake makes the methods
| in use in other parts of the world of
i great interest to all Marylanders-
those who are not engaged in the
/ oyster industry of the state as well as
those who are. One of the most novel,
according to American ideas, and
picturesque ways of raising the BIZ
valves is that of the people of the
4 Netherlands, says the Baltimore
j American. The center of this indus
/ try in Holland is the little town of
in the province of Zealand. Nearly
every one in the town gets his or her
/ living from the fisheries, and the
greatest feature of them all is the
oyster industry. Whole families are
engaged in it all the year round, and,
if the pecuniary results are not very
large, comfortable livelihood is the
4 result
The most important part of the
work begins in April. when the col
1ectors are placed in position. These
| are rounded tiles. about a foot long,
which are covered with mortar. On
| these the white spat or ova of the
oysters finds Judgement, and from
| 300 to 400 larvae will become attached
| to single collector. The larvae are
about 1850 of an inch long, and float
on the surface of the water until they
stick to the collectors. The latter
are gathered in boxes about eight
SO arranged as to admit of free cir
culation of sea water. By August the
collectors have generally become pret-
ty well covered, and they are then
taken ashore to be cleaned. This job
is attended to by the women, who
wear picturesque and seryiceab1e
costume, consisting of tightly fitting
red flannel knickerbockers, black
stockings, a shirt waist with the.
sleeves rolled up to the elbows. and
an odd-looking sunbonnet. Their
duty is to cleanse the young oysters
from all kinds of impurities, as well
as to remove the small shells which
might interfere with the oysters
growth. After this operation the
tiles are replaced in the boxes, where
they remain until the autumn. At
this season they are taken out again,
and the oysters have grown to the
size of a silver quarter, and are old
and strong enough to take care Of
themselves without anything to cling
to, and they are consequently re-
moved. ~
Most of this work is also done by
the women who seem to be more ex-
pert than the men. It is not an easy
job, for too hasty an attempt to effect
separation may result in an injury
to the thin shell of the molIusk. In
spite of all the care taken, there is a
loss Of from 20 to rs per cent. Of the
oysters. A woman holds the collector
in her hand, and usually a specially.
made pair of scissors to remove the
young oyster from the collector. The
what is known as an ambulance.
which is an apparatus designed to
protect it from its various enemies.
The ambulance is long, shallow box.
with wire netting at the top and
bottom, through which the water
can pass freely. but which keeps fish.
crabs, ETC.. on the outside The boxes
contain as many as 1000 oysters, and
are firmly stalSed down to the bot
tom of the water
The oysters remain in these boxes
for three months. during which time
they are well looked after and given
frequent washings. At the end of
this time they are from two to two
and one-half inches in diameter.
They are then large enough to be
sold, but there is not much profit in
oysters of that size, so that they are
thrown down in the water. being now
large enough to take care of them
selves, and allowed to remain there
for two or three years. After they
reach the age of three years they
do not grow any more. so that there
is no object in keeping them any
longer. and they are, accordingly.
sold. These various processes require
much patience and skill. and it is
likely that the Chesapeake beds viii
be considerably more depleted than
they are at present before such
system is introduced here.