THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE OYSTER. 3 



in any part more than six feet deep. Its bed is a black volcanic slime, 

 such as one might suppose would be death to mollusks generally. 

 From time beyond memory this has been an oyster park or planta- 

 tion ; a place for raising the young oysters, that is, the oyster-seed 

 namely, the small oysters, which, when put in proper places, will be- 

 come oysters of an eatable size. For these young to settle on, heaps 

 of stone are placed in the lake with a circle of piles round each heap 

 (Fig. 3). In other parts of the lake the piles are driven in rows and 

 connected by ropes, from which hang fagots, on which also the young 

 can fix themselves (Fig. 4). These fagots, at the proper time 3 are 

 easily pulled up, and the young, or " seed," picked off by hand to be 

 planted elsewhere. 



Formerly France possessed a great abundance of native oysters. 

 But this industry was without regulation, and the French natives, 

 like our Northern natives, came near being exterminated. A few 

 years ago Prof. Coste, of the French Academy, called attention to the 

 fact that the French oyster was becoming extinct. He took up the 

 study of this mollusk in earnest, and learned many important facts 

 concerning its nature. He even went to the Neapolitan oyster-park, 

 and observed how the fishermen there saved the young ones. He then 

 appealed to the government, which put means in his way for experi- 

 menting, and, in a short time, he had a successful oyster-plantation 

 under way. It is in France as elsewhere, "seeing is believing," and 

 " there is nothing that succeeds like success." Under the wise direc 

 tion of this learned naturalist the new industry, oyster-planting, be- 

 came a furor in France. " In two years 1,200 capitalists, associated 

 with a similar number of fishermen, occupied a surface of 988 acres." 

 By which is meant the area of shore-line exposed at low tide. And 

 what labor ! so thorough and scientific. The isle of Re, with its 

 unsuitable, muddy shores, had all that sea-bottom altered. In two 

 years twelve miles of sea-coast thus changed was planted, with 1,200 

 parks in operation, and thousands more projected. Now, oyster-cult- 

 ure is conducted in France on better principles than anywhere else. 

 And all of this great additional wealth to the nation comes out of the 

 applied science of a man " that studied shells and worms," as is often 

 said in derision. In France scrupulous provision is made for husband- 

 ing the fry. In America no effort is made in this direction, and the 

 time is not far off when the nation will wake up to a serious calamity 

 in this respect. 



The American practice is simply this : In the spring of the year 

 large numbers of sloops and schooners go south to procure the young 

 oysters called "seed." This sets considerable money afloat south- 

 ward, as they have to take with them the ready cash. In the days 

 of "wild-cat" banking, the Southrons would take nothing but specie, 

 and that must be paid just so soon as the oysters were put into the 

 boat. The "seed" is obtained chiefly in the Rappahannock, the Nan- 



