[7] THE OYSTER AND OYSTER-CULTURE. 689 
2,—OYSTER-BANKS AND OYSTERING. 
By far the greater number of our oyster-beds are never exposed to 
view on account of the muddiness of the water of.the sea-flats, from the 
continual stirring up of the sediment upon the bottom. Only when, dur- 
jing the lowest ebb of thespring-tides, easterly winds drive off a great deal 
of water from the land, does the sea along the border of many beds 
become so shallow that the oysters can be seen, and even taken up with 
the hand. This state of affairs occurs upon the oyster-beds which are 
numerous along the east coast of the island of Féhr, and in one autumn 
as many as 20,000 oysters could be gathered from these beds by hand 
and transplanted into deeper waters. 
Generally one is obliged to use measuring-sticks or dredge-nets in 
order to tell when he is over a desired oyster-bed. The measuring-sticks 
are poles, five to six meters long, with the lower half divided off, by dif- 
ferent colors, into feet. They are used from vessels, in shallow portions 
of the flats, in order to ascertain during the journey whether the depth 
increases or diminishes, so that the vessel may not run aground. The 
measuring-rod is pushed down to the bottom, and one can thus easily 
tell whether the bottom is composed of soft mud or pure sand, or whether 
it is covered with shells. : 
The dredge used by the oyster-men (Fig. 3) consists of an iron frame 
upon either side of which there is a shank. These shanks, or side- 
pieces, are brought together and united, at a short distance from the 
frame, so as to form a ring in which the dredge-rope is fastened. Fast- 
ened to the frame upon the opposite side from the shanks is a net whose 
upper half consists of coarse yarn or cord, and the lower half, that which 
drags along the sea-bottom, is, for greater durability, made of iron rings 
united together, each of which has a diameter of from six to seven centi- 
meters. The entire net weighs from 50 to 60 pounds. 
Fia. 3. 
Oyster-dredge. The frame and handles are made of iron. The upper portion of the 
bag is made of coarse net-yarn, the under portion of iron rings from six to seven centi- 
meters in diameter. The form of the rings and the method of uniting them is rep- 
resented with greater exactness at 0. 
The older oyster-dredgers know the position of all the oyster-beds with 
great precision, and they guide their vessels to the desired places by 
reckonings from high-lying points of the coast and islands, from light- 
S. Mis. 29 44 
