New-York tribune., 1901-07-21
DUTCH OYSTER CULTURE |
INTERESTING INDUSTRY WHICH OCCU-
PIES THE PEOPLE OF GOES.
Goes, Holland, June 2S.

The industrious nature of the Dutch women |
has long been proverbial, and this in various |
departments of human activity. Not only are |
they expert in all kinds of feminine accomplish
nents, but also in manual labor of the heaviest |
sort and the fathers and husbands look
on with the utmost complacency at the toilings |
or their women folk Thus, women are en-
ployed on 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 and the quaint costumes and /
primitive customs of the Dutch fisher folk in /
general, the oyster culture in the Netherlands |
as OF more interest and offers larger element |
OF the picturesque than any other IN the Low |
lands.
The old town of Goes is the centre of the |
oyster industry in Holland, and is as quaint and
primitive place can be found in the Low
lands. Situated the Island of South Beol |
land, in the Province of Zealand, Goes is an |
trely off 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 The oyster
women are a queer sight when attired in their
costume-especiaIy adapted for the purpose
tight fitting red flannel knickerbockers, black
stockings, shirt with sleeves rolled up to the
ly protects the head and neck.
Though the inhabitants of Goes are engaged |
all the year round in the oyster industry it is
IL April that the most important part of their
work is done. 1t is then that the collectors
placed in the oyster parks" These 'col-
lec:ors' curved tiles about foot long, which |
after being carefully washed covered with |
a layer of mortar. Thus prepared the "col-
lectors" are able to retain the oyster ova, known
n fSg,e zUhi hire
are termed in Holland. These embryos are
very minute and float about on the surface of
the water until they become affixed to the col
lectors." They then gathered into boxes
eight feet long by two feet in breadth and the
tiles are so arranged TO be constantly bathed
by the water. From 300 to 400 Larvae arc
attached to a single collector
In August the collectors removed from
the beds" and taken 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
impurities and also from the small 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 autumn. The collectors are then
once more removed. and the oysters which are
already the size of a Decent piece, suf-
fciently strong live alone, without being af-
fixed anything.
To remove the young oyster from the col
lector" a special kind of scissors is used. For
this purpose the collectors placed in the
middle of a large table, around which the
oyster men and gathered The
women who far more dexterous than the
men in this matter. hold the collector in one
hand while with the other they carefully re-
move the mollusks and throw them into baskets.
This operation requires considerable skill, for,
if performed TOO hastily, the thin shell OF the |
Young oyster would be injured. But, notwith-
standing all the that is taken, there is
always a loss of from 30 to % per cent.
Thus removed from the collectors, the oy
ters begin the second period Of their existence
an intermediate period of youth, so TO speak
for though sufficiently developed to exist alone |
they are not yet strong enough to resist the at |
tacks Of their numerous enemies. They are
therefore placed for few months in an appara-
fus called an ambulance" These "anbu- |
lances'' are fat boxes about ten inches high, the
bottoms of which OF wire grating. Thus |
isolated the young oysters completely pro-
tected by a box Identical with the one in which
they are inclosed but reversed, so as to con-
gtitute kind of cage in which the water can |
circulate freely without allowing fish or crabs |
10 enter The boxes, which contain no fewer
than 1900 oysters each, arranged side by |
tIn hpff M hG