574 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



later on cockle and oyster shells, the natural collectors 

 which are employed to maintain continual fertility on the 

 oyster- fields, may be spread over it. 



The fishing on certain parts of these beds cannot go 

 on for more than two hours or two hours and a half at each 

 spring-tide; but as 40 or 50 persons are employed at this 

 work, nearly 60,000 oysters a day can be collected. 



When the sea has made the labourers retire, each 

 woman goes with her burden to the ship " Le Travailleur," 

 which is the centre of the works. The harvest of the day 

 is turned out on long tables, and the women then proceed 

 to detach and sort the oysters. They are so used to this 

 work, and their eye is so practised, that they rarely employ 

 the ring in order to classify the oysters according to size. 

 This operation over, the oysters are sent off to the different 

 pares to Lahillon to grow, and to Crastorbe to fatten and 

 prepare for travelling. 



The pares at Lahillon are old oyster-grounds, from 

 which the vegetation has been removed to convert them 

 into claires. for growing. On marine plants the growth is 

 less rapid than on the bare soil ; a square, however, of 

 natural oyster-ground has been left, and such is the quality 

 of the grounds at Lahillon that the gravette, or native, 

 grows more quickly there than on the oyster-layings at Le 

 Ces. The average size of this oyster at 15 months is from 

 2 to 4 centimetres. 



The claires measure 45 metres in length by 6 in breadth, 

 and 30 centimetres in depth. They are separated by little 

 banks from i to 2 metres broad, formed of lumps of the 

 clay found on the Island of Oiseaux, and supported by 

 tiles placed on end. 



