THE WORLD'S MOST VALUABLE WATER CROP 



269 



THE FRENCH OYSTER INDUSTRY 



France, which is the only rival of the 

 United States in the oyster industry, 

 has the distinction of maintaining the 

 most perfect and thorough system of 

 oyster culture in the world, although the 

 methods pursued are not adapted to con- 

 ditions in the United States or even in 

 some countries contiguous to France. 



The native oyster of France is the 

 same species that occurs in England, Hol- 

 land, and other countries of northwestern 

 Europe. There is another species, how- 

 ever, which has been introduced into 

 France and elsewhere, and has become 

 very important on account of its hardi- 

 ness, prolif icness, and rapid growth ; this 

 is the Portuguese oyster, which in spawn- 

 ing habits and other characters is related 

 to the American oyster, but is inferior 

 in quality. 



Oysters are cultivated along the entire 

 coast of France. 



For the handling of .the native oysters 

 the great centers of the industry are 

 Cancale, on the north coast, and the dis- 

 tricts, of Auray, Sables-d'Olonne, He 

 de Re, He d'Oleron, Alarennes, and 

 Arcachon, on the Bay of Biscay. Culti- 

 vation of the Portuguese oyster is most 

 extensive in the last four of the locali- 

 ties just mentioned, and, in addition, at 

 Rochelle and Rochefort. 



The number of oyster-cultural estab- 

 lishments in some sections is so large as 

 to suggest that practically the entire 

 shore-line must be occupied by pares, 

 claires, and viviers, as the various en- 

 closures are called. Thus in the Ma- 

 rennes district there were in 1907 over 

 11,300 independent establishments for 

 growing the native oysters and 5,400 for 

 the Portuguese oysters. According to 

 1907 statistics, issued by the French gov- 

 ernment. 21,900 oyster farms, with a 

 superficial area of 6,860 hectares, were 

 devoted to the growing of the indigenous 

 species, and 20,500 others, having an 

 area of 5.150 hectares, were concerned 

 with the introduced Portuguese oyster. 



Oyster culture in France is of com- 

 paratively recent origin. Up to the mid- 

 dle of the last century the natural oyster 

 banks were, like there of the Chesapeake, 



deemed inexhaustible, and dredging op- 

 erations thereon were practically unre- 

 stricted. Then the government awoke to 

 the gravity of the situation, and by 

 stringent regulations endeavored to save 

 the few remaining oysters. 



The leading advocate and exponent of 

 the possibilities of oyster culture was 

 Professor Coste, who, after investiga- 

 tion and successful experimentation, 

 rnade a report which embodied a propo- 

 sition to restore the oyster banks of the 

 entire coast. Obtaining a government 

 grant through the interest of Napoleon 

 III, Coste began extensive experiments, 

 but was unfortunate in his choice of 

 sites, met with unfavorable weather con- 

 ditions, and failed in his entire under- 

 taking, and he died blind, in disgrace, 

 and regarded as a charlatan. Neverthe- 

 less, Coste's work was of the utmost im- 

 portance, and it was his pioneer efiforts 

 that were directly responsible for the 

 present^ advanced status of the French 

 oyster industry. 



Oyster culture in France has several 

 distinct phases or branches in which the 

 culturists specialize. The tidal oscillation 

 leaves extensive flats exposed or nearly 

 exposed twice daily, and this greatly 

 facilitates the various procedures, the 

 w^ork being done in a horizontal plane, 

 whereas in Italy and other countries 

 where the tidal movement is slight the 

 cultural operations are conducted under 

 water and in a vertical plane. 



The first essential step in the French 

 method is to arrange on the shores, be- 

 tween high and low water, series of 

 earthen tiles or wooden trays coated with 

 lime cement, on which the floating oyster 

 fry are collected. When the young have 

 reached the size of a finger nail, usually 

 by October, they are detached from the 

 collectors by means of a short knife, the 

 plaster being easily separated from the 

 tile or wood. This work is done by 

 women, who become very skillful in hand- 

 ling the thin-shelled seed oysters, of 

 which as many as 20.000 or more may be 

 detached by a woman in a day. 



The young are then placed in wire 

 gauze baskets and transferred to en- 

 closed ponds or pares, where growth 

 may take place without danger from nat- 



