312 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OP FISH AND FISHERIES. 



and by the action of the currents. On the other hand, the eggs, and 

 especially the spermatozoa, will probably die unless they fulfill their 

 destiny within a much shorter period, and the sooner they are brought 

 into contact with one another the better, and the smaller the bulk of 

 water through which they are at first distributed the larger the number 

 which will accomplish successful union. 



Upon these considerations is based the advice not to scatter the 

 "mother oysters" too widely. Fifty bushels of oysters, 250 to the 

 bushel, scattered evenly over an acre would allow one oyster in every 

 22J linear inches in each direction, plenty near enough if they were to 

 all spawn at one time, but it must be remembered that the proportion 

 rii3e at any one time is not so large, and there is a possibility of all of 

 the oysters over a considerable space being of one sex. 



The "mother oysters" used for this purpose are preferably obtained 

 from the neighborhood of the planting-ground. It has been remarked 

 in another connection that transplanting mature oysters, especially 

 from a warmer to a colder region, may have the eflect of checking the 

 development of the genital products, and Dr. Eyder has commented 

 upon the fact that the si)ermatozoa of ripe oysters are killed by being 

 changed to much denser or warmer water than that in which they have 

 been living. The endeavor should be, therefore, to study thiB con- 

 ditions on the planting-grounds, and to procure the spawners from 

 beds as nearly as possible similar in the conditions of temperature and 

 density. Where this consideration can not be closely followed, as for 

 instance in the shipment of eastern oysters to places on the Pacific 

 Coast, the brood oysters should be sent during the fall preceding the 

 season at which the cultch is to be put down. They will then be pretty 

 well disgorged of their ripe genital products and the time intervening 

 before the next period of sexual activity will probably be sufficient to 

 acclimatize them. 



WORKING THE BEDS. 



Many planters are content to allow their beds to remain unworked 

 until they are ready to market their crop, whether this be one, two, 

 three, or more years. In some instances this may be satisfactory, but 

 often, and perhaps usually, it is better to go over the beds with tongs or 

 dredges, cleaning up the debris and separating the oyster clusters or 

 even in some cases removing the seed to localities in which the condi- 

 tions are more favorable for rapid growth, for in many cases the best 

 spattiug-grounds are not the most favorable for subsequent growth. 



The stage at which the i)lanter will find it most i)rofitable to sell his 

 oysters will depend much ujion circumstances. Sometimes the set of 

 spat will be greater than could be advantageously grown upon the area 

 covered and some of it could be manifestly removed to advantage. 

 Some planters find it more profitable to sell their oysters as seed, thus 

 receiving quicker returns for their investment and also lessening the 

 possibility of losses due to the appearance of enemies or the advent of 



