ARTIFICIAL OYSTER CULTIVATION IN FRANCE. 349 
By that time, all the “spat” has located itself, and the 
ruches are carefully taken apart, each tile being laid down 
in the same position as in the ruche, side by side in long 
furrows or ditches prepared for them. 
There they are allowed to remain until the following 
summer, when the oysters on the upper side of the tiles 
are removed and planted in beds, hollowed out about 
three inches deep, running the length of the parc; while 
the tile is then turned over with the roof-side down- 
wards, and the oysters on the other side are left to grow 
as they at first’ fixed themselves, unless, being too much 
crowded, they grow upon each other, and in irregular 
Shapes; in this case they are thinned out. The writer 
Saw many thousands of tiles in rows, with oysters three 
years old, and of handsome size, still growing where they 
first were “set ;” but usually they are all removed to the 
beds the second year, and the tiles, after being redipped 
in the cement, are again piled as before. 
The faggots are taken to some enclosures, which are 
called claires, which are made of solid mason-work, 
water-tight, where the water can be admitted and ex- 
cluded at pleasure, and where the waves can have no 
power, and are there unbound and left to themselves to 
stow until large enough to be separated from the branch- 
€s, which is usually six to eight months, when they are 
treated like those grown upon tiles. 
At the end of the third year, the oysters have attained 
the most desirable size, and are ready for the market. 
Those grown in the imperial parcs are not sold, but are 
consumed by the emperor, presented by him to crowned 
heads and friends, either for use or to stock their private 
pares, or abandoned to the poor fishermen, who on a cer- 
tain day are allowed to gather them. 
