CONNECTICUT: CONNECTICUT RIVER TO NEW HAVEN. 3^3 



excellent. Formerly they were sold regularly to Hartford buyers at $8 aud $9 a barrel ; now, 

 however, they are worth ouly $4 to $5. About 800 bushels a year comprise the total yield at 

 present. No Virginia oysters are planted at Guilford. Experiments showed that the practice was 

 not successful. The great drawback upon the inshore ground is the drifting of sand and mud, 

 which is likely to occur in storms; the drills also are troublesome, but 1 did not hear that starfishes 

 had caused much damage thus far. 



" The native river-oysters at Guilford formerly lined the whole river, opposite the town, for 3 

 or 4 miles. A town-regulation early prohibited the taking of more than 2 bushels a day by one 

 person, but this has been more or less evaded, and now the fishery is of little value, all the oysters 

 taken being very small; yet there is so strong a popular prejudice against utilizing any of this 

 product in seeding the artificial beds, or against allotting the suitable ground in the exhausted 

 river for cultivation, that the town voted to not avail itself of the privileges granted by the State 

 in general statutes, which are as follows : 



SEC. 12. "'The selectmen of Guilford may lease, for not exceeding ten years, all ground of the 

 town in East and West Rivers, suitable for planting or cultivating oysters, to the highest bidder,' 

 at public auction ; but no lease shall be made to any person of more than five acres, nor to a minor. 

 'The leases shall be executed by the selectmen, as deeds of real estate, reserving to said town the 

 rents for such grounds, * * * and any lessee shall, during the term of his lease, be the owner 

 of all the oysters thereon, but shall not take any oysters therefrom in the night season.' 



"This ratification, as I have stated, was refused) and a two-bushel protective regulation was 

 made instead. 



"About GOO acres of land have been set apart for oyster cultivation in the waters of the sound, 

 outside of this harbor, besides that already mentioned near shore. No improvement, however, has 

 yet been made upon this area. 



"The next point of oyster-culture is Stony Creek, where the large collection of islets known as 

 The Thimbles affords excellent opportunity for planting and raising. Organized business here is of 

 comparatively recent date, but native oysters of extra quality were always to be had for the raking 

 in the harbor. The largest dealer is the Stony Creek Oyster Company, N. P. Miner, president, 

 which was established in 1868, and now owns 400 acres of ground devoted to the growing of oysters, 

 and has a capital stock of $42,000. 



"The Stony Creek Oyster Company raises annually about 15,500 bushels of natives, aud 

 employs six men. All the stock is sold in shell, shipping in barrels, and opening little or nothing. 

 The other persons engaged in planting have spent a good deal of money here in getting the founda- 

 tion of a business laid, but with small actual results as yet. There is also a large class of citizens 

 who cultivate for personal use, or sell to a trifling extent, and so get a partial support out of the 

 industry. It was very difficult to gather any exact or approximate figures, therefore, outside of 

 the oyster company's report; but I judge that all the other producers together, added to the 15,500 

 bushels reported by President Miner, will not bring the total production of Stony Creek in 1879 

 above 20,000 bushels. 



"The prospects at this point seem very good. Some large sloops are employed in dredging, 

 and it is proposed to employ steam very soon. An air of unusual thrift is observable about the 

 oyster-houses on the shore, which do not, as is too often the case, disfigure the pleasant scene. 

 Stony Creek is a favorite source of seed-supply to the planters of Rhode Island, aud probably one- 

 fourth of the year's yield is sold in the spring for this purpose, the purchasers sending sloops to be 

 loaded. Stony Creek beds had a good set in 1879, very little in 1878, but a massive collection of 

 spawn in 1877. The great obstacle to success along this part of the coast is the lack of smooth, 



