THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE OYSTER. 5 



greatly improved in quality. Early in the fall the work of taking up 

 the crop begins. This is done by what is called tonging. An instru- 

 ment is used called oyster-tongs. Something of an idea of it may be 

 got by supposing two garden-rakes with very long handles, w T ith the 

 tooth-side of each rake facing each other ; let the handles be secured by 

 a loose rivet about two or three feet from the teeth, so that by operat- 

 ing the extreme ends of the handles the whole contrivance shall act as 

 a pair of tongs. Working over the side of his boat, the oysterman 

 and his comrade thus take up the first of the harvest. After tonging, 



Fig. 3. Artificial Oyster-Bank in Lake Fusaro. 



the bed is again gone over, but this time with the dredge (Fig. 5). In 

 this process a vessel with sails must be used (Fig. 6). The great iron 

 bag or dredge is cast into the water and dragged along the bottom. 

 Then (and terrible hard work this is) it is drawn up, and its contents 

 are emptied on deck. Whether tonging or dredging, oystering re- 

 quires broad-chested men, with sturdy hands and arms. The oysters 

 are next taken a little way up a fresh-water creek or stream, into 

 which they are thrown " to get a drink." The process sweetens and 

 cleanses them. One day, often even one tide, is enough for this pur- 

 pose. As the water is not deep, the mollusks are taken up with large 

 forks. The workmen stand in the stream, wearing very high rubber 

 boots. When late in the fall, this is intensely cold work. Before being 

 thrown into the fresh water, a sorting process is gone through. There 

 are dead oysters, and winkles, and conchs, and stones, and many use- 

 less matters, to be separated. All this is thrown upon the banks of 

 the stream. After being taken out of the stream, before they can be 

 sent to the great city, comes the process called "culling," that is, as- 

 sorting into the sizes known in the trade. The smallest are called 



