302
"
THE SEAS
_
'
__
from being less hardy than the other, it cannot be reared
.
on…the shore So easily, while it_is subject "to mysterious
_
diseases.
'.
Unlike the Portuguese oysters which are… all either of
the male or female sex, the native oyster has the strange
'
’
property of being alternately' one sex and then‘the other ;_
the frequency of these changes depends on the temperature
@
of the water, for example on the'Dani5h beds they do not
_
usually havemore than one change of sex annually, but
on the French beds they may have .twoor three.
.
Since
at, each _spawning the oyster in its female state produces
millions of young, the potential production of spat where
each oystèr may spawn several times in a season, is almost
—inconceivable.
'
'
.
'
In Great Britain there is nothing to compare with the
French oyster industry.
There are many beds dotted
:
along
the coasts, of Which. the principal ones are situated
_
near Colchester ;,
everywhere the oysters live in shallov‘v
Water but are
in any number even at the ‘
lowest spring tides.. They are usually collected by small
rowing or Sailing boatsWith the aid of iron dredges which are
dragged along the bottom, the oysters being collected in the
dredge bag which is usuallymade of steel links;
Spat‘
collectors are seldom‘ used, but during the.summer_ it is
'
customary to throw great quantities of clean shell, known as
cultch ”
over
the beds so as to rpr_ovidegood séttling
surfaces ,for the spat.
Although. the colder water round
the-British Coasts re‘nders oystercultivation a more difcult
problem than in France, there-is rio reason Why the industry
should—not be greatly developed ; a fact whichzisÆortunately
recognized by the
of Fisheries , which has'been
'
'
conducting experiments
rearing‘ of oysters
North Wales, for some, yearspast.
‘
,
_
_
Oysters are also;' cultivated to some extent .in Holland,” '
"
THE SEAS
_
'
__
from being less hardy than the other, it cannot be reared
.
on…the shore So easily, while it_is subject "to mysterious
_
diseases.
'.
Unlike the Portuguese oysters which are… all either of
the male or female sex, the native oyster has the strange
'
’
property of being alternately' one sex and then‘the other ;_
the frequency of these changes depends on the temperature
@
of the water, for example on the'Dani5h beds they do not
_
usually havemore than one change of sex annually, but
on the French beds they may have .twoor three.
.
Since
at, each _spawning the oyster in its female state produces
millions of young, the potential production of spat where
each oystèr may spawn several times in a season, is almost
—inconceivable.
'
'
.
'
In Great Britain there is nothing to compare with the
French oyster industry.
There are many beds dotted
:
along
the coasts, of Which. the principal ones are situated
_
near Colchester ;,
everywhere the oysters live in shallov‘v
Water but are
in any number even at the ‘
lowest spring tides.. They are usually collected by small
rowing or Sailing boatsWith the aid of iron dredges which are
dragged along the bottom, the oysters being collected in the
dredge bag which is usuallymade of steel links;
Spat‘
collectors are seldom‘ used, but during the.summer_ it is
'
customary to throw great quantities of clean shell, known as
cultch ”
over
the beds so as to rpr_ovidegood séttling
surfaces ,for the spat.
Although. the colder water round
the-British Coasts re‘nders oystercultivation a more difcult
problem than in France, there-is rio reason Why the industry
should—not be greatly developed ; a fact whichzisÆortunately
recognized by the
of Fisheries , which has'been
'
'
conducting experiments
rearing‘ of oysters
North Wales, for some, yearspast.
‘
,
_
_
Oysters are also;' cultivated to some extent .in Holland,” '