Oyster Culture in Europe and Japan 81 



the spawning time, so that there can be no set date for 

 the laying of the collectors. By close observation, the 

 most favorable time is determined each year for the cap- 

 ture of the maximum number. This is usually near the 

 end of July, and the spat continue to appear in numbers 

 until the middle of August. 



Two hundred small oysters might perhaps be left with 

 safety on the surface of a single tile during the winter 

 months when growth is not rapid. Indeed, this is often 

 done in the warmer southern waters ; but on the north 

 coast there is always great danger from frost. As the 

 collectors are so placed that they are exposed at low tide, 

 many of the young would be killed by the cold; so in Oc- 

 tober, when the shells have attained a diameter of half 

 or three-quarters of an inch, they are removed from the 

 tiles and shipped to the eleveurs, or culturists, who place 

 them in water deep enough to preserve them during the 

 winter. 



The young are hardy enough to endure a journey last- 

 ing three or four days, especially at this time of the year. 

 From the collecting places, they are sent to all parts of 

 the French coast, as well as to neighboring countries. 

 Great numbers are sold in England, where, however, the 

 fact is concealed as carefully as possible, because, like 

 any other people, the English consider their own 

 products superior to others. The collection and sale 

 of spat is so extensive as to be an important industry in 

 itself, and this is a feature of oyster culture that should 

 be much more extensively developed in our own country. 



An American oyster culturist would probably be ap- 

 palled by the adverse conditions that confront the in- 

 dustry in European waters. He himself has much to 

 contend against, but his task is not difficult in compari- 



