Show oysters to he cultivated the oyster though a very prolific shellfish and widely distributed has eo many enemies and is so helpless to defend itself when young and tender that its chance of escaping extinction rests almost wholly upon its cultivation and care by artificial methods this fact has come to be BO generally recognized in recent times that all nations on whose shores thia delicious bivalve grows have legislated on its behalf and made many experiments for increasing its numbers in spite however of all that has been done for it there is detill a curious diversity of opinion as to its nature and habits whether it is hermaphroditic or bisexual has been warmly discussed each contention having earnest adherents joel denton in drakes magazine |