OYSTER CULTURE IN AMERICA. 813 



The cause assigned for the deterioration, and even the 

 admittance of the fact, depended very much upon the 

 occupation of the informant. The tongers, or those who 

 pursued the fishery with tongs alone, were unanimous in 

 laying the deterioration to excessive dredging, while the 

 dredgers, or those owning pungies or other vessels em- 

 ployed exclusively with the dredge, while they admitted 

 the decrease in the number of oysters, laid such decrease 

 to the action of natural and unexplained causes, arguing 

 that the evident extension of the beds and improvement 

 of the oysters, due to dredging, was sufficient to prove its 

 good rather than its ill effects. 



With regard to the effect of ice in cold weather, every- 

 one coincided in the opinion that the oysters in deep water 

 were most affected, and those in shoal or brackish water 

 were least so. In the same depths and character of water, 

 those oysters about the edges of " muddy rocks," and close 

 to muddy channels or sloughs, were most affected by the 

 cold or a severe freeze. After the latter event the packers 

 distinguish the deep water oyster by its dark, slimy appear- 

 ance, and decline it, though at the same' time shoal-water 

 oysters are in good order, and are accepted. 



. . . . Regarding flavour, those from the salt 

 water were the best, and generally the salter the water the 

 better the flavour. 



With regard to an increased freshness of water, due to 

 freshets and heavy rains, it was the general opinion that 

 during the winter season it was not of much consequence, 

 but that in spring or summer heavy rains or freshets were 

 very beneficial, especially in the spawning season, hastening 

 its advent and shortening its duration. An increased fresh- 

 ness of water always fattened the oysters. Oysters in salt 

 water were always poor, and oysters were generally poorer 



