772 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



European planters. One firm shipped, in the spring- of 

 1883, sixty car-loads of seed-oysters to San Francisco, 

 from the beds of Connecticut. The sixty car-loads, or 

 more than 15,000,000 young oysters, had been engaged 

 by persons employed in planting on the Pacific coast. 



A method which is capable of producing such a result 

 as this, in three years' time, is worth most careful examina- 

 tion. . . . The waters of the State are divided into two 

 districts, a shore district, .... and a deep-water 

 area .... In each area there are natural beds 

 which are open to the public, and private grounds which 

 are appropriated to individuals or companies by law, for 

 the cultivation of oysters. 



THE PUBLIC BEDS OF CONNECTICUT. 



The natural beds are open to all residents of the State, 

 at all times except at night ; but no one is allowed to use a 

 steam boat upon them, or to use a dredge which weighs 

 more than thirty pounds. 



The use of steam vessels, for dredging upon the public 

 beds, has only recently been prohibited. Steam vessels 

 are used upon the private oyster beds, and the proposition 

 to close the public beds to them was warmly attacked, but 

 was finally adopted, and made a law by the Legislature, in 

 1881. 



" In gathering seed near shore, and somewhat otherwise, 

 tongs and occasionally rakes (those with long curved teeth) 

 are used ; but the marketable oysters are nearly 'all brought 

 from the bottom by dredges of various weights, and slight 

 differences in pattern. In the case of all the smaller sail- 

 boats, the dredges having been thrown overboard and 

 filled, are hauled up by hand a back-breaking operation. 

 The oysters themselves are very heavy, and frequently half 

 the amount caught is composed of shells, dead oysters, 



