coast began only about one hundred years 

 ago. 



Oyster farming usually consists of several 

 operations, depending upon local conditions. 

 In the Southern States, oysters are gathered 

 principally from State-o^vned, or public, bot- 

 toms, where little or no cultivation is done. 

 In the North, however, especially in Long Island 

 Sound and the waters of New York State, 

 oysters come almost entirely from privately 

 owned and leased grounds, where extensive 

 cultivating operations are a general prac- 

 tice. 



Normally, before planting shells to collect 

 the new generation of oysters, oyster farmers 

 clean the beds to remove as much debris as 

 possible and simultaneously destroy such 

 enemies as starfish and drills. After the 

 bottom is clean, and just before the larvae 

 set, oyster and clam shells are placed on the 

 bottom to "catch" the new generation of 

 oysters. The shells and other material used 

 for this purpose are called "cultch". 



The set, collected on beds that may be 

 damaged later in the season by ^vinter storms 

 or invaded by enemies, is dredged a few 

 months after setting and transplanted to deeper, 

 safer waters where young oysters are left to 

 grow until they reach marketable size. If 

 oysters are too numerous and grow too rapidly, 

 they may be transplanted several times to 

 new grounds to offer them sufficient space for 

 growth. Normally, after cultivated oysters 

 reach 3 or 4 inches they are transplanted to 



fattening grounds where, because of favorable 

 conditions, they can store a large amount of 

 glycogen in their meats and acquire the de- 

 sired flavor and appearance. Finally, they are 

 dredged again and, after culling, grading, and 

 packing, are shipped to market. 



Production of seed oysters constitutes an 

 important part of the oyster industry. These 

 activities are probably best developed in Ne\v 

 England, especially along the northern shore 

 of Long Island Sound, where many companies 

 produce oyster seed. By New England stand- 

 ards, seed oysters are those which set in 

 summer and are offered for sale either during 

 the following fall or the next spring. In other 

 areas, however, for example, in Chesapeake 

 Bay, the term "seed oyster" may apply to all 

 oysters smaller than 3 inches taken fronn 

 public grounds. Seed oysters are sold to 

 oyster cultivators who plant thenn on privately 

 owned or leased bottoms. 



Oysters are fished by a variety of methods, 

 including such primitive ways as handpicking, 

 and progressing to use of tongs (fig. 20), 

 mechanical dredges, suction dredges, and 

 escalator dredges. 



Handpicking is practiced on public grounds 

 in Southern States where oyster flats are often 

 exposed to low water stages. Grabs, or hooks, 

 are sometimes used. The use of manual tongs 

 is limited to comparatively shallow water but 

 is profitable, nevertheless, on grounds where 

 oysters are plentiful. In the James River, Va., 

 where no mechanical methods of fishing are 



Figure 20. — An oysterman tonging oysters on public grounds in Chesapeake Bay. The tongs are operated by scissorUke 



motion. 



29 



