362 AS TO RECEIVING OYSTER-SPAT. [CHAP. vm. 



some day to become general changes completely its qualities ; 

 the albumen becomes fatty, yellow or green, oily, and of an 

 exquisite flavour. The animal and phosphorus matter in- 

 creases, as does the osmozone. This oyster, when fed, becomes 

 exquisite food. In effecting the culture of the sea-shores and 

 of the marl -ponds, I am pursuing a practical principle of 

 great importance, by the conversion of millions of shore oysters, 

 squandered without profit, into food for public consumption. 

 The green oyster, to this day, has only been regarded as a 

 luxury for the tables of the rich ; but, as I have indicated, 

 there are an immense number of farms or ponds on the 

 Seudre, and I would like to see it used as food by everyone. 



The French oyster-farmers are happy and prosperous. The 

 wives assist their husbands in all the lighter labours, such as 

 separating and arranging the oysters previous to their being- 

 placed on the claires. It is also their duty to sell the oysters ; 

 and for this purpose they leave their home about the end of Au- 

 gust and proceed to a particular town, there to await and dispose 

 of such quantities of shell-fish as their husbands may forward 

 to them. In this they resemble the fisherwomen of other coun- 

 tries. The Scotch fishwives do all the business connected with 

 the trade carried on by their husbands ; it is the husbands' 

 duty to capture the fish only, and the moment they come 

 ashore their duties cease, and those of their wives and daugh- 

 ters begin with the sale and barter of the fish. 



Before going farther, it may be stated that the best mode 

 of receiving the spawn of the oyster has not been determined. 

 M. Coste, whose advice is well worthy of being followed, re- 

 commended the adoption of fascines of brushwood to be fixed 

 over the natural oyster-beds in order to intercept the young 

 ones ; others again, as we have just seen, have adopted the 

 pares, and have successfully caught the spawn on dykes con- 

 structed for that purpose ; but Dr. Kemmerer has invented a 

 tile, which he covers with some kind of composition that can, 



