346 OYSTER-CULTURE. [CHAP. vm. 



burgh in later times, who needs to be told that has heard of 

 Christopher North and read the Noctes Ambrosiance ? 



The Americans become still more social over their oysters 

 than we do, and their extensive seabord affords them a very 

 large supply, although I regret to learn that, in consequence 

 of overfishing and of carrying away the fish at improper 

 seasons, the oyster-banks of that great country are in danger 

 of becoming exhausted. In City Island the whole population 

 participates in the oyster-trade, and there is an oyster-bed in 

 Long Island Sound which is 115 miles long. 



The oyster can be cooked in many ways, but the pure 

 animal is the best of all, and gulping him up in his own 

 juice is the best way to eat him. The oyster, I maintain, 

 may be eaten raw, day by day, every day of the 214 days 

 that it is in season, and never do hurt. It never produces 

 indigestion never does the flavour pall. The man who ends 

 the day with an oyster in his mouth rises with a clean tongue 

 in the morning, and a clear head as well. 



The secret of there being only a holding-on place required 

 for the spat of the oyster to insure an immensely-increased 

 supply having been penetrated by the French people and no 

 doubt they are in some degree indebted to our oyster-beds on 

 the Colne and at Whitstable for their idea the plan of 

 systematic oyster-culture was easy enough, as I will imme- 

 diately show. A few initiatory experiments, in fact, speedily 

 settled that oysters could be grown in any quantity. Strong 

 pillars of wood were driven into the mud and sand ; arms 

 were added ; the whole was interlaced with branches of trees, 

 and various boughs besides were hung over the beds on ropes 

 and chains, whilst others were sunk in the water and kept 

 down by a weight. A few boat-loads of oysters being laid 

 down, the spat had no distance to travel in search of a home, 

 but found a resting-place almost at the moment of being 

 exuded ; and, as the fairy legends say, " it grew and it 



