EEPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 77 



"To prove the correctness of this conclusion with the material 

 and apparatus at hand, it was decided, on July 6, to experiment 

 with lobsters which were at that time in small bags. Accordingly 

 the force at the laboratory was divided into watches, and the 

 water in the bags was thenceforth stirred with an oar continuously 

 until July 12. The result was ample proof that the conclusion 

 was correct. There were two lots of lobsters which received this 

 treatment, namely, experiments 9 and 10 (tables on page 78). 

 Neither of these lots was considered to be as promising as the 

 average. However, from No. 9 there were obtained 748 lobsters 

 in the first stage. This is a larger number than were obtained in 

 any other experiment, either at Wickford, Woods Holl, or in any 

 other station where lobster-culture has been tried, so far as I am 

 aware. From lot No. 10, 319 were obtained in the fourth stage; 

 but as one of the bags was old, and had a hole in it, the figures 

 fail to give a correct idea of the results of the experiment. One of 

 the most encouraging results of this method was the clean and 

 healthy appearance of the fry in all stages. The continual stir- 

 ring prevented the accumulation of parasites found on the body 

 of nearly all of the specimens in the other lots. 



" It is intended during the next season to follow up this experi- 

 ment with others, working upon the same theory, namely, that the 

 water should be constantly stirred. To do this it will be necessary 

 to invent a mechanical device which will take the place of the oar, 

 and .designs for such an apparatus are now being made." * 



The mechanical device referred to was put into successful oper- 

 ation in the season of 1901 at Wickford, and is described in the 

 report for that year. The apparatus consisted of a number of 

 rotating horizontal paddles, one in each bag, run by a gasoline 

 engine. The movement of the paddle blades created a constant up- 

 ward current of water in the bags, which kept the fry off the bot- 

 tom and kept the food suspended in the water. Through its use 

 9,000 lobsters were raised to the fourth stage, and in some experi- 

 ments 50 per cent, of the newly hatched fry were carried through 

 to this stage. That this was a decided step in advance of the old 

 methods will readily be admitted by those who have followed the 

 course of previous experiments. 



* Report of Rhode Island Commission of Inland Fisheries for 1900, p. 71. 



