■■ MODE OF WOEKING, 285 



interstices of the palisades, or bouchot basket-work, each group 

 of mussels being, of course, fastened at such a distance as to 

 have plenty of room to grow. Left there, the byssns of the 

 animal soon forms a point of attachment ; and the bag rotting 

 away by means of the water, speedily leaves the mussels hang- 

 ing in numerous vine-like clusters on the bouchots, where they 

 increase in size with such great rapidity, as speedily to demand 

 the performance of the next operation in mussel-cultiare, which 

 is called the transplanting. It is conducted with a view to the 

 attainment of two ends : firstly, the thinning of overcrowded 

 bouchots ; and, secondly, to bring the ripe mussels gradually 

 nearer to the shore, so as to make their removal aU the more 

 easy at the proper time. The change of habitation is effected 

 precisely as has already been described ; the mussels are again 

 tied up in purses of old netting, although not so particularly as 

 before ; again the mussel, whose power in this way is well 

 known, weaves itself a new cable, and the bivalve clings to its 

 new resting-place as tenaciously as ever. It may be asked, why 

 the mussel-farmers should so plant the mussels as that they will 

 require constant thinning ; but the reason is, that it is desirable 

 for the purpose of their proper fattening that the mussels should 

 be always, if possible, covered by the salt water ; this, however, 

 is not compatible with the extent of the crop ; but all that can 

 be done is done, and the mussels are kept in the front-ranks as 

 long as possible. A third and last change brings the mussels 

 as near the shore aa they can ever get, so long as they are 

 ungathered. 



The labour of planting and transplanting goes on inces- 

 santly, till all the spat that had found a resting-place on the 

 solitary stakes — that is, the advanced guard — has been dealt 

 with. The labour of all these varied operations is constant, 

 and is carried on by old and young, male and female, both 

 day and night, at times when the tide is suitable. ' Some 

 portions of the farm are always under water ; other portions 

 of it, again, are uncovered a* the ebbing of the tide ; and this 

 circumstance, I was told, has a great influence on the quality 

 of the mussel • those being the best, as may be supposed, which 

 are longest submerged, and kept at the greatest distance from 

 the mud. Although the greatest possible care is taken to keep 

 the mussels from being affected by the copious muddy deposits 

 of the place, by means of allowing a good flow of water between 

 the base of the bouchots and the searsurface^ yet some of the 



