Oyster Culture in Europe and Japan 89 



of the European industry, but retain the ancient and ef- 

 fective brush collector. For this, the light, strong bam- 

 boo is employed. It serves its purpose admirably, and 

 is easily obtained. Short pieces, usually bearing their 

 branches, are thrust into the bottom between tide lines. 

 In this position they are easily examined and kept in 

 order. There is little trouble from mud, or the forma- 

 tion of slime. The collectors, arranged in lines or clus- 

 ters so as best to be exposed to the currents, are set out 

 in the early spring, and young oysters begin to appear 

 near the middle of April and continue to attach for some 

 weeks. The character of such a collecting ground is 

 well shown in Figures 22 and 23. Here the bamboo 

 rods are arranged in long rows, three or four feet in 

 height. 



If left to themselves, young oysters, greatly crowded 

 on the stakes, would not be able to attain a rounded 

 form, and very many would perish. So those oysters 

 that have attained a certain size are detached from the 

 collectors and removed to a deeper bottom, that has 

 been prepared for them. On this they are immersed for 

 a longer period each day and grow more rapidly in con- 

 sequence. Oysters are from one to two years old when 

 thus spread on the bottom, and remain for another year 

 or two before attaining marketable size. Very few 

 enemies trouble them. One or two species of boring 

 mollusks appear at certain points on the coast, but these 

 may easily be removed at low tide. The starfish gives 

 little trouble. 



Usually the larger oysters from such a bed are re- 

 moved from time to time, and placed in still lower beds 

 where they are uncovered but once or twice eacli month, 

 and here they attain the greatest possible rate of growth. 



