The Ostyers (besides gathering by hand, at a great ebb) haue a
peculiar dredge, which is a thick strong net, fastned to three spils
of yron, and drawne at the boates sterne, gathering whatsoeuer it
meeteth, lying in the bottome of the water, out of which, when it is
taken vp, they cull the Oysters, and cast away the residue, which
they terme gard, and serueth as a bed for the Oysters to breed in.
It is held, that there are of them male, and female. The female,
about May, and Iune, haue in them a certaine kind of milke, which
they then shead, and whereof the Oyster is engendered. The little
ones, at first, cleaue in great numbers, to their mothers shell,
from whence, waxing bigger, they weane themselues, and towards
Michaelmas, fall away. The Countrie people long retained a conceit,
that in Summer time they weare out of kind (as indeed the milkie are)
but some Gentlemen making experiment of the contrarie, began to eate
them at all seasons, wherethrough, by spending them oftner and in
greater quantitie, by spoyling the little ones, and by casting away
the vnseasonable, there ensued a scarcitie, which scarcitie brought a
dearth, the dearth bred a sparing, and the sparing restored a plenty
againe.
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