THE OYSTER INDUSTRY. 523 



exerted by other ports on Long Island Sound, at none of wbich has this branch of trade ever flour- 

 ished extensively. Many or all of the old dealers, or their heirs, continue to bring and bed down 

 southern oysters, which they ofi'er for shipment in the autumn and winter. Iii 1880 the year's 

 importation ajuounted to about 450,000 bushels. Those from the Rappahaunock were the favor- 

 ites for winter use, and were imported almost exclusively ; for planting purposes, however, Rap- 

 pahannock oysters were undesirable, and those from Fishing Bay, Saint Mary's, and Crisfleld 

 preferred. The great success, however, which has followed the cultivation of native oysters, at 

 New Haven (and elsewhere in Connecticut), particularly on the deep-water farms, has caused a 

 continual diminution of the receipts of " Virginias " then 7 , not only for bedding but lor immediate 

 sale in winter. Several men who regularly used them in 1880 had completely ceased to do so by 

 the season of 1883-'84, and during the coming season (1884-'S5) probably not more than half the 

 amount named above, or say 250,000 bushels, are likely to be brought to New Haven. Though 

 the prices fluctuate, the general tendency is toward an increase of the cost of this stock. 



In the lower part of New York Bay immense plantations of southern oysters (there called 

 "soft." or " fresh," in contradistinction to the "hard "anil "salt" stock native to the locality) 

 have been carried on since 1825. The central place is Prince's Bay, Stateu Island, and about 300 

 bushels are bedded there annually. 



The methods of work, beginning in March, are not different from those pursued elsewhere and 

 need not be redescribed. Rappahaunock and York River stock seems to have been preferred 

 always in this district, and a large number of sloops and schooners run each spring to and from 

 those rivers. The crews of these vessels are not only native Jersey men or Stateu Islanders, but 

 often Chesapeake men, who come up for a brief season's work and then return to their homes. 



" They are required," says an account written in 1853, " in the transplanting of a bed, to 

 heave the oysters overboard, to clean the bed about once a year, and perform various other work 

 of a like description. The cleaning of the beds takes place generally every fall, and is accom- 

 plished by means of ' scrapers,' singular looking instruments, somewhat resembling scythes, with 

 this exception, that at one side of the blade a large bag, constructed of iron ring-work, like many 

 purses we have seen, is attached. Into this all the scourings of the bed, cleaned off' with the front 

 of the blade, fall, and the whole is hauled up at regular intervals and deposited in the boat, to be 

 afterward thrown into the current. In this manner the whole floor of the bed is scraped quite 

 clean, after which it is considered fit for the reception of the oysters." I doubt if this could be 

 observed now. A similar effect is produced by the process of taking up the oysters in the fall, 

 which begins with the first cool days of September. This is done by tongiug from small boats, 

 near which a sloop anchors upon the bed, in which the men are quickly carried out and home 

 again, and easily transport their load. Thus the larger part of the harvest is gathered, until the 

 oysters become scarce upon the ground. Then a dredge is thrown over from the sloop, which 

 cruises back and forth across the ground until it is wholly cleaned up. Tonging over the side of 

 a skiff' is hard enough work, and, requires sturdy, broad-chested men ; but dredging is a still more 

 terrible strain upon the muscles, when it comes to dragging the heavy iron frame and bag up 

 from the rough bottom, and lifting it and its load over the rail onto the deck of the vessel. 

 Many of the newer and larger sloops are now provided with a windlass, specially adapted to 

 dredging (see illustration), which relieves the crews to a great extent of the old hand-over-hand 

 back-breaking labor. Drag-rakes are also used very frequently on these grounds, having very 

 long, limber handles. In Connecticut steamers are being used to a greater and greater extent in 

 taking up the harvest, and this dredging, by whatever method, scrapes and cleans the bottom of 

 filth, dead shells, aiid d6bris very advantageously. 



