OYSTER CULTURE IN AMERICA. 817 



young growth on it every year, and then failing to produce 

 anything for two or three years. Sometimes one part of 

 the bed will be covered by young, and another totally 

 barren. 



. Ten bushels of oysters were considered a 

 profitable day's work for a tonger. For a dredger the 

 number of bushels varied on account of their different 

 sizes. About 60 bushels were considered a profitable 

 day's work for the larger vessels, and from 20 to 30 for 

 smaller craft. The dredging vessels employ from four to 

 nine men, and the "tonging" canoes one man and a boy. 

 Tonging could not be carried on profitably in depths 

 greater than four fathoms in the Sound, and dredging in 

 not more than six. The dredges vary in size from two to 

 four feet across the mouth, with from eight to sixteen teeth. 

 Generally they are made about three feet wide, with twelve 

 or fourteen teeth, but vary a good deal in weight. My 

 informant found that, generally speaking, it was more pro- 

 fitable to fish with the tongs exclusively, for the large 

 oysters used for barrelling by the dealers, and to dredge 

 for packing and canning establishments. The tongs are 

 worked at small expense, and the "barrel' 1 oysters bring 

 a much larger price, though they are necessarily selected 

 oysters and more difficult to obtain. 



The prices paid during the season of 1877-78 were 

 about $i per barrel for " barrel" oysters, and from 5 to 40 

 cents for the ordinary oysters from the beds ; the " snaps," 

 or most inferior quality, bringing the lowest price, and 40 

 cents being paid only for "extra culled" oysters. About 

 20 cents per bushel would allow a small profit. The 

 flavour is not generally taken into account, and the degree 

 of fatness and the size settle the price. Salt-water oysters 



