558 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



to bring under culture the fertile submersible grounds of 

 the basin of Les Chasses, and to convert them into pares. 



The basin of Les Chasses is 64 hectares in area ; only 

 25 of which are devoted to the culture of the oyster. It 

 receives sea-water only once a week, but for a period of 

 two or three days consecutively. The soil consists of sand 

 mixed with mud and clay. The water which comes into 

 the claires is much charged with earthy matter picked up in 

 the basin, and necessitates the frequent cleansing of the 

 pares, any collecting of mud in which must be specially 

 avoided. 



These pares, or claires (as they are called at Les Sables), 

 have an average area of 2 5 o metres. This area varies accord- 

 ing as the establishments are more or less sheltered from 

 the wind. The water is kept in the pares by embankments 

 of earth, and only so much of it is retained as is absolutely 

 necessary for the shelter of the young oyster from excessive 

 heat ; cold need not be much feared at Les Sables 

 d'Olonne. The parc-owners affirm that the less the 

 quantity of water in a claire, and consequently the more 

 an oyster is exposed to the action of heat and light, the 

 more it grows. 



Rearing and fattening are the phases of culture of 

 oysters with which the rearers at Les Sables are familiar. 

 Their methods are based on theories opposed to those of 

 M. Pozzi at Ludre ; at Les Sables, in fact, there are no 

 currents ; the water is seldom changed, and stays eight 

 days in the basins. Last year, indeed, owing to the con- 

 struction of some works in the port, the water remained in 

 the claires for a whole month, without any bad effect. It 

 is, nevertheless, astonishing to see the quick and truly 

 surprising growth of the mollusc. In a single forenoon it 



