THE OYSTER-INDUSTRY. 103 



the next ? Perhaps not more than a single year's interval would be required ; hut I should hope that only a third 

 of the bottom might be raked annually, so that each bed would have two years' rest between times. 



The general characteristics of the Great South bay having thus been mentioned, it remains to describe 

 particular districts, and offer such statistics as I have been able to collect. 



Bellport akd Moriches. — The most eastern point at which any oyster-operations are conducted on the 

 soutli side is Bellport, and there thej' are only begun. East of this, in Moriches bay, seed beds exist — there are 

 no oysters in Shinnecock bay — but at Bellport laud is now being staked off and planting has begun. Bellport 

 planters will have the advantage of the best and hardiest seed close at their own doors, but are three miles or more 

 from the railway. 



Patchogue and vicinity. — The next point is the important town of Patchogue, the center of the Brookhaven 

 bay interests. More than any other of the thriving to^\ais on the south shore, it owes its existence to the bay, 

 but lias distanced them all in point of size. Every other man you meet is a captain, though the craft he commands 

 is rarely better than a sloop. With few exceptions, to be born and bred here means to be a bayman, and a curious 

 result follows socially. The women of the village know a vast deal more than the men. As soon as a boy is old 

 enough he is sent to school; but by the time he gets acquainted with the manners of the school house, he has 

 become big enough to "go cullin'" in an oyster-boat, and tliat is the end of his education. Ilenceforth h(^ sits in 

 a skift' on the bay and assorts oysters, until he is old enough to handle a pair of tongs, wlien he "goes tongin'" 

 until he dies or has energy and savings enough to become a buyer and shipper. The alternatives to this are to 

 go to New York to seek his fortune, or to become a clerk in a village shop. The girls, on the other hand, stay 

 in school long after their brothers are taken away. They are pretty — that goes without saying — and healthy, 

 because nobody is anything else down here, and are acquainted with fashion through seeing so many stylish 

 people in the summer. Then they admire the honest, rugged frame and heart of a bayman, marry him, and 

 become his confidential clerk in business. 



The chief business of the bayman at this eastern end, is the catching and cultivation of oysters, and there are 

 about 1 ,000 acres of bottom under cultivation in front of the town. This area includes all the coast from Patchogue 

 to Bayshore, thus taking ia the settlements and railway stations, Bayport, Youugport, Blue Point, Sayville, and 

 Oakdale. A part of these lie in the town of Islip and the rest in Brookhaven, and thus come under slightly different 

 regulations, but otherwise they form together a homogeneous district, and the oysters they raise go to market 

 under the general brand-name of " Blue Points ". The artificial beds upon which these oysters grow are all near 

 shore, and in water rarely more than two fathoms deep, and often less. The bottom varies, but, as a rule, consists 

 of mud overlying sand. The preference is in favor of water 6 to 10 feet in depth, which is deep enough to escape 

 ordinary gales, and is not too expensive to work. The oysters fatten better there than in shoaler water, one jjlanter 

 said. The seed consists of the native growth, eked out by cargoes from IS^ew York bay, the East river, and 

 elsewhere. The experiment of planting Virginia oysters as seed has proved a failure. The result is a shell which 

 grows closely to resemble the natives, but the moment the oyster is opened the difference and inferiority of the 

 meat is apparent, both to the eye and the taste. It has therefore been discouraged. Southern oysters will survi^•e 

 the winter in this bay, grow, and emit spawn; but most planters consider that they tend to reduce the quality and 

 price of the native stock, and hence have almost ceased to bring any. To raise and sell them as " Vii-ginias" would 

 not pay, since this region cannot compete with Staten Island. Whether native or outside seed grows faster is another 

 undecided question, but all whom I asked said they preferred to plant all home-seed, if possible, on general 

 considerations. The differences in the experiences related to me are no doubt due to the dlffereuces in the particular 

 localities whence the seed was brought. It is generally understood that oysters taken fi-om the eastern to the western 

 end of the bay grow more rapidly than those not changed. Count Pourtales remarked upon this district as follows : 



These beds produce oysters of different qualities, according to the locality ; the cause of the variation is not known, but depends 

 probably on the density of the water, supply of food, etc. The oysters grown on the beds are called bed-oysters, by the fishermen, to 

 distinguish them from the broken-bottom oysters. The former have generally a rounded shape; the second, which grow in scattered 

 bunches on broken or muddy bottom between the beds, assume an elongated or spoon-shaped form, evidently produced by their tendency 

 to sink in the mud by their own weight as they grow. The beds have probably originated in the same way, as the tongs bring up from 

 them frequently old and very large spoon-shaped shells of oysters, such as are not now found living there. The broken-bottom oysters 

 have a much more rapid growth than the bed-oysters, being two or three times as large as the latter at the same age. The greater supply 

 of food will no doubt account for it. At the same time the meat is more watery and held in less estimation until after it has improved by 

 planting in other localities. 



The ordinary amount of small seed put on an acre is 500 bushels, chiefly laid down in the spring. In the fall the 

 owner goes over them and thins them out, finding a great many which are large enough for market, though no 

 bigger than a silver dollar. The rest remain down longer, and meanwhile constant additions of seed are made 

 alongside. 



Bayshore. — As you go westward to the extremity of the " Blue Point" district, in the neighborhood of Bayshore, 

 you find a feeling of discouragement. The oysters there do not grow as last or be(;ome as finely flavored as those 

 to the eastward, and all the seed must be bought or poached stealthily ft-om Brookhaven. Large quantities of ground 

 there, which uuiy be prociued in four acre lots at $1 a year rent per acre, arc not taken up, although with the help 



