[49 ] OYSTER CULTURE. 801 
age and size; the oldest, those destined for consumption, at the extreme 
inner limit attained by the sea, and the youngest at the farthest point 
cultivated, where the bottom is never exposed. 
As the collectors furnish each year the germs necessary for the re- 
stocking of the outer zones, the young oysters in these zones, about one 
year old, should be passed to the next inner zone, and a rotation thus 
inaugurated, which would simplify and at the same time facilitate the 
labor. As for the lands which are never uncovered, and in this number 
are included all those of the littoral zone of the Mediterranean, oysters 
can be raised upon them, but they are more easily covered with mud, 
on account of the stagnation of the water at a certain depth, and it is 
on this account, or at least this is one of the principal causes of the 
absence of oyster beds along the coasts of this inland sea, except at 
certain places, as in the Gulf of Lyons, where the continuous agitation 
of the water, caused by the strong currents of this portion of the sea, 
prevents the deposition of mud. Of lands of this character one should 
choose those in preference where the water is not very deep, from one to 
two meters at the most, and employ the system of preparing the bottom 
recommended for muddy lands, in order that the obstacles placed in the 
way of the moving water may produce a constant agitation which will 
renovate the water and prevent all deposit. ! 
There are a great many places in the Mediterranean where oysters 
can be raised with great success, and many of these require no previous 
preparation. Imight mention, among others, the entire coast from Cette 
to Toulon, the coasts of Corsica and Africa, and the large salt lakes in 
the neighborhood of Montpellier and Cette, which seem to be vast natural 
basins especially constructed with a view to this industry. 
But for all of these regions it will be necessary to add from three weeks 
to a month to the period already described as the spawning season, and 
the time for placing the collectors, &c., since the higher temperature 
and earlier season of this latitude cause the young to be hatched much 
sooner. 
However, the non-emergent lands in general have a great disadvan- 
tage over the other, and the cultivation of the oyster can never attain 
the same perfection as upon emergent territory, since more labor and 
greater expense are demanded in the former than in the latter case. In 
fact, since they are always covered with water, all the previous labor of 
preparation, the management of the collectors, and the planting of the 
young oyster, in a word all the manipulations, must be made under water, 
which render the execution difficult and costly, if nut impossible in many 
cases. Neither could the supervision be very effective, and the oyster- 
culturist would be obliged to leave his charges almost entirely to them- 
selves, from his inability to cull, change, or distribute them at pleasure 
or when necessary. Only at the time of gathering could he obtain any 
exact idea of the success or failure of his undertaking, or the richness 
of his harvest. Concerning such lands as these, however desirable their 
S. Mis. 29 51 
