134 THE OYSTER, 



To remedy this evil, since it is impossible to prevent 

 the deposit of mud, the breeders always have certain 

 unoccupied claires into which they transfer the oys- 

 ters from the muddy claires while these are being 

 cleaned. After a thorough cleansing they are left 

 empty until it becomes necessary to clean the other 

 claires, when the oysters are transferred back to their 

 old quarters. But certain of the breeders, not willing 

 to allow portions of their land to lie unproductive, 

 content themselves by cleaning the bottoms and 

 then replacing the oysters in their old enclosure, 

 always soiled with mud. It is useless to enumerate 

 the defects of this practice, which can only produce 

 inferior results, both as to quality and numbers. 



" A claire or live-pond can be established upon any 

 ground where the altitude above the level of the sea is 

 sufficient to enable it to be covered by the tide, not 

 every day, which would expose it to a too frequent 

 deposit of mud, but at least twice per month, and dur- 

 ing five or six days each time. And as a breeder 

 should never be content with one claire, however small 

 his establishment may be, a series of basins can be 

 made in one or two rows parallel to the coast, along 

 the surface sloping to the sea, and all having the same 

 level. 



" The soil of the bottom of the claire demands, 

 according to its nature, different kinds of treatment. 

 If it is clayey or muddy, it should be cleaned and 

 leveled, leaving the central portion higher than the 

 borders, then pounded to give it solidity, and finally 

 covered with water until the bottom is thoroughly 

 saturated, when the water can be allowed to run 



