aJ 



52 THE OYSTER. 



dealers, who cannot obtain sea -water, would provide 5 

 themselves with the prepared salts for the instantaneous 

 production of artificial sea-water, the recipe for the 

 preparation of which is thus given in ]S'o. 735 of the 

 " FamHy Herald:"— 



" For ten gallons it requires, sulphate of magnesia, 7^ ounces ; 

 sulphate of lime, 2f ounces ; chloride of sodium, 43^ ounces ; 

 chloride of magnesia, 6 ounces ; chloride of potassium, 1^ 

 ounce ; bromide of magnesium, 21 grains ; carbonate of lime, 

 21 grains." 



This should be allowed to stand exposed to the air in 

 a strong sunlight for a fortnight before it is used, during 

 which time a few growing plants of enteromorpha, or ulva, 

 should be introduced to throw off spores. These plants 

 cost about one shilling each in London. The watei 

 then, when under the microscope, will be found to con- 

 tain a confervoid vegetable growth, which forms as nour- 

 ishing a food for the oyster as the spores of sea- weed ii 

 its ocean bed. Oysters laid down in a large trough an( 

 covered with this water will continue to live and thriv< 

 for months ; and it was to some such method as this tha 

 the Eomans were indebted for the preservation of thei 

 oysters in inland stews. On no account should oatmeal 

 flour, or any such dead stufl^, be added, which onl^ 

 serves to make the water foul and the oyster sick. 



When oysters are to travel by coach or rail, they ar^ 

 usually dispatched in barrels. "WTiere the barrels ar 

 packed at the beds, as the Colchester or '^Pyflee 

 barrelled oysters" are, they should not be distui'bed til 

 wanted for the table, as they will keep good as they ar 

 for a week or ten days ; for being carefully packed so a 



