Year: 1878

OYSTERS.


The oyster spawns in July, filling the sur
rounding water with vast quantity Of black
ish dust, each particle of which is an embryo
These attach themselves to whatever object
comes in their way-stems and leaves Of
aquatic plants, stones, sunken logs, other oys'
tiers, etc., etc., and begin to grow. If you
should take up an old shell from the bottom
at this time, you would find it peppered all
over with this spawn. The baymen say that
each oyster spawns successfully only once in
three or four years, and then in such profu.
sion that few weeks afterward the minute
oysters cover the old bed to the depth of sew
eral inches, killing off, of course, all the pa
rent molluska. This host of young oysters
having been born in July, are by the next
spring eight or nine months old, and in size
about as large as the finger nail. They are
now taken up and distributed over the ground
which is intended to be planted. 1t is calcu-
lated that they will not spawn in their new
home when they reach the proper age, being
discouraged by the different temperatures or
qualities of the water into which they have
been transferred. To have them spawn is
disastrous since the new little oysters at
taching themselves to the old render both un-
fit for market The planting is done from
April till the end of June. One can put on
four-acre lot just as little, of course, as his
inclination or money directs, but fair guam
tity is from 1900 to 1000 bushels, costing, at
constantly varying prices, perhaps 20 cents a
bushe. If it is the original seeding, oysters
two years old may be used, and these will cost
more. The oysters having been dumped up.
on the ground will stay there. They are not
given to wandering, but it does not therefore
follow that they will be brought up alive
when they are sought in the autumn. If two
years.old oysters are planted in the spring
they can be taken up the next autumn and
during all the winter when the weather and
ice will allow. There is more safety in this,
but far less profit. The more risky but more
remunerative way is to plant yearlings and
let them lie over. If they live, five times
the original outlay is not too great return
to expect at the end of two years. The
chances of selling at good figure are in.
creased by "trck of the trade" which con-
sists in taking the oysters from the bed where
they have been growing and laying them in
shallow water on gravelly bottom, prefera-
BILE at the mouth of fresh.water stream,
where they will be covered alternately by fresh
and salt water never stagnant. In two or
three days even they will "fatten" handsome.
ly and sell for higher price that they would
otherwise obtain. Oysters, however, have
many enemies. If the winter is such that
the bay is not steadily frozen over. the con.
slant turmoil of the drifting ice and the
fierce lashing of the storms will keep the bot
tom torn up and the water so rolled that the
sand either drifts into the shells faster than
the animal can force it out, and go kills it, or
the currents bury the bed altogether beneath
new bottom. Three years ago large part
of the crop was lost in this way. There are
also various sea.animals that prey on the oys-
ters. The red drum6sh crushes the shell in
its formidable mouth and devours the luscious
morsel within, and, it is said, caused the utter
failure few years ago of oyster culture in
Newark Bay. Two little unvalve mollusks,
the "borer" (Buccinum) and the "winkle"
Inertia y creep over the beds and with their
6le.like tongues bore smooth round hole
through the shell Gin just such spot as will
paralyze the adductor muscle by which the
oyster holds its she'll shut), and then suck out
the life of. the poor prisoner. Lastly, the
star-fshes insinuate themselves between the
valves and eat the defenceless mollusk on his
own "halfshell." All these perils past, he is
reserved only for death at the hands of his
owner. From June Is to September Is the
law prohibits the taking of oysters. They
are then spawning or at least growing. In
the autumn the dredging begins. This is
done by means of double-handed "tongs,"
which scoop up the oysters rapidly. Most of
! them are brought ashore and seld to ship.
pers who have previously contracted for the
whole catch. Many, however, are disposed
of at a bargain. Owners Of sloops and
schooners will go to the bay, hoist basket
to the masthead as signal that they want to
buy, and get shipload on the best terms
they can, which they then carry to market
and endeavor to sell at profit Immense
quantities are shipped in barrels from the
shore towns-how many it is extremely diff.
cult to estimate Lately trade has grown
up with Europe, and Sayville alone is report
ed to have forwarded five thousand barrels to
England. Only the smallest oysters are sent
abroad. Accustomed to their own diminu.
tive bivalves, Europeans are afraid of big
"Blue. Points" and Saddle Rocks"


A SUMNER SHowER-What spur and
impulse the summer shower is! How its
coming quickens and hurries up the slow,
Jogging country life The traveller along the
dusty road arouses from his reverie at the
warning rumble behind the hills; the chill
dren hasten from the field or from the school ;
the farmer steps lively and thinks fast. In
the hay. field, at the first signal.gun Of the ele'
ments, what commotion How the horse.
rake rattles, how the pitch forks fly, how the
white sleeves play and twinkle in the sun or
against the dark background of the coming
storm! One man does the work Of two or
three 1t is race with the elements, and
the hay-makers do not like to be beaten. The
rain that is life to the grass when growing is
poison to it after it becomes cured hay, and it
must be got under shelter, or put up into
snug cocks if possible, before the storm over
takes it.


FACTS ABOUT WATER-Place pitcher OF
ice water in room inhabited, and in few
hours it will have absorbed nearly all the per-
spiration gases of the room, the air Of which
will become purer, but the water utterly Ill
thy. This depends upon the fact that the
water has the faculty of condensng and there
by absorbing nearly all the gases At ordi'
nary temperature, q pint of water will con:
tain pint of carbonic acid gas and several
pints of ammonia. This capacity is nearly
doubled by reducing it to that of ice. Hence
water kept in room awhile is always unfit
for use and should be often removed, wheth-
er it has become warm or not And for the