ARTIFICIAL OYSTER CULTIVATION. IIJI 



" . . . Quicklime," says M. Alphonse Martin, 

 " always retains a little moisture, thus placing at the 

 disposal of the oyster all the materials which it needs." 



"... The tiles covered with lime will give three 

 times as many oysters as those without it. This principle 

 being admitted, the liming is done in two very different 

 ways at Morbihan, according to whether it is intended to 

 entirely free the oysters from the tile, or to allow a portion 

 of the tile to remain attached to each shell. 



". . . Some of our culturists .... cover 

 their tiles with a slight coating of hydraulic cement. The 

 young oyster attaches itself to the cement, but the coating 

 being very thin is soon worn away, leaving the oyster quite 

 firmly fixed to the tile. Others, on the contrary, who, six 

 months after the collectors have been set, prefer to sepa- 

 rate the oysters entirely from the tile with the blade of a 

 knife, generally cover the tile with two layers, and proceed 

 in a different manner. We cannot do better than to give 

 their method of procedure in their own language :" 



" M. Eugene Leroux says : ' I procured some quicklime, 

 which was slacked just as it was to be used, and was put, 

 while still in a state of ebullition, into a large vat, where 

 two-thirds the same quantity of sand had been placed. 

 My men stirred the mixture until it had attained the 

 consistency of clear broth. The collectors had been made 

 ready, and, held by the lower end, were dipped into the 

 vat. One immersion sufficed, after which the women took 

 them in hand-barrows and exposed them to the air to dry 

 before setting them up. This excellent coating should be 

 prepared with fresh water only ; sea-water prevents its 

 adhering for any length of time to the tiles, and if it comes 

 off the labour is of course lost.' " 



