250 AS TO RECEIVING OYSTER-SPAT. 



found the little molluscs, cmstaoea, and swimming infusoria, 

 wMch are the food of the oyster. The culture of the oyster in 

 the mud-ponds and in the marl — a culture which ought some 

 day to become general — changes completely its qualities ; the 

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

 ilavour. The animal and phosphorus matter increases, 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 num-* 

 ber 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 ckires. It is also their duty to sell the oysters ; 

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

 August, 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 countries. The Scotch fishwives do all the business con- 

 nected 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 

 daughters 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, recom- 

 mended 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 pans, and 

 have successfully caught the spawn on dykes constructed for 

 that purpose ; but Dr. Kemmerer has invented a tile, which he 

 covers with some kind of composition that can, when occasion 

 requires, be easily peeled off, so that the crop of oysters that 

 may be gathered upon it can be transferred from place to place 

 with the greatest possible ease, and this plan is useful for the 

 transference of the oyster from the collecting pare to the fatten- 

 ing claire. The annexed drawing will give an idea of the 



