552 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
Stratford: Point and Milford, Conn., by Mr. Prytherch. Up to the 
present time over 50 per cent have been recovered. The general drift 
of the water along the Connecticut coast from Bridgeport to New 
London is in an east-northeast direction. This shoreward movement 
of the water is due to a flood tide current that rotates gradually in 
a clockwise direction, so that by the last of flood it is running in a 
northeasterly direction. 
These observations, together with studies of the distribution of the 
oyster larvee, indicate (1) that a set on the offshore beds in Long 
Island Sound is obtained from oysters in their vicinity, and not from 
the inshore beds or those found in the bays and harbors; (2) in 
oyster-cultural operations on the offshore grounds the spawning beds 
should be located just seaward and southwest of the areas planted 
with shells. 
OYSTER-SEED PRODUCTION AND COLLECTION 
The studies and experiments made in 1925 by Mr. Prytherch in 
Milford Harbor, Conn., showed that such inshore bodies of water 
can be developed as oyster-seed producing areas by establishing 
spawning beds and planting suitable set collectors on the tidal flats. 
Several kinds of collectors were used successfully in obtaining a set, 
and of these, wirebaskets filled with oyster shells* proved to be the 
cheapest and most practical type. It was evident that the shape of 
the basket should be changed so as to enable the oyster larve to pene- 
trate more easily and attach on the shells in the center. For the 
experiments in 1926 less expensive shell containers were constructed 
of spruce lath, triangular in shape, and each had a capacity of 2 
bushels and covered an area of 2 square feet. The oyster shells used 
averaged 250 to the bushel. 
At Milford, Conn., and Wareham River and Wellfleet, Mass., the 
lath crates were tested for the collection of seed oysters. A résumé 
of the experiments in each locality is as follows: 
Milford, Conn.—In Milford Harbor, 1,000 bushels of oysters were 
planted on the tidal flats for a spawning bed, and over these oysters 
300 lath crates, filled with shells, were set out. The crates were 
placed in various formations, so as to determine their value as seed 
collectors and the effect of their position and arrangement on the 
uniformity or intensity of the set. On August 15, a light set oc- 
curred in the harbor, but counting the oyster spat in the crates was 
not done until September 15, when they were large enough to be 
seen easily. The examination of the crates showed the following 
results: 
1. An average of 2,000 spat per bushel was collected. 
2. An average of 9 spat per shell was caught, giving the crop 
commercial value. 
3. A light set, averaging 4 spat per shell, was obtained in the very 
center of the crates, and a heavier set, averaging 15 spat per shell, 
was found in the corners. 
4, The maximum number of spat attached on a single shell was 35. 
5. Shells in the top and bottom layers of the crate caught a heavier 
set than those in the middle layer. 

® Suggested by Capt. Charles E. Wheeler, manager, Connecticut Oyster Farms Co., 
Milford, Conn. 
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