778 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



he calls ' spawners.' The amount of these that he scatters 

 depends on his circumstances ; from 30 to 50 bushels to 

 the acre is considered a fair allowance here, I believe. 

 The rule is, one bushel of spawners to ten bushels of 

 cultch. He now waits until early in July (from the 5th to 

 the 1 5th is considered the most favourable time), when he 

 thinks his spawners must be ready to emit their spat. He 

 then employs all his sloops, and hires extra vessels and 

 men, to take down to the harbour the tons of shells he has 

 been saving up all winter, and distribute them broadcast 

 over the whole tract of land he proposes to improve that 

 year. These shells are clean, and fall right alongside of 

 the mother-oysters previously deposited. The chances are 

 fair for catching of spawn. Sometimes the same plan is 

 pursued with seed that has grown sparingly upon a piece 

 of ground ; or young oysters are scattered as spawners, and 

 the owner waits until the next season before he shells the 

 tract. Sometimes there must be a preparation of the 

 ground, before any preparation can be begun upon it, by 

 elaborate dredging or otherwise. Within the harbour, for 

 instance, considerable muddy bottom has been utilized by 

 first paving it with coarse beach-sand. No spot where 

 there is not a swift current is considered worth this trouble. 

 The proper amount is 200 tons of sand to the acre, which 

 can be spread at the rate of five-sharpie-loads a day, at no 

 great expense. The sand forms a crust upon the mud firm 

 enough to keep the oyster from sinking, and it need not be 

 renewed more than once in five years." 



Expense of an Oyster Farm. In either case, therefore, 

 the planter's expense has not been enormous. I present 

 herewith two statements of the outlay under the operations 

 outlined above, which are as follows :- 



