OYSTER-CULTURAL, PROBLEMS OF CONNECTICUT. 9 



The bureau's investigations have shown ^ that the time elapsing 

 between fertilization of the egg and setting is approximately two 

 weeks. Another two weeks is required to bring the spat to about one- 

 fourth of an inch in diameter. Spat should have attained this size 

 early in September to be commercially valuable, able to withstand 

 shifting from starfish or drill-infested grounds, or capable of with- 

 standing the September storms. If September 7 (about the latest 

 reasonable date) is allowed for the attainment of this size, then set- 

 ting should occur by August 24 and spawning by xVugust 10. This 

 eliminates deep-water offshore lots, over which the bottom water 

 warms slowly, to no very high degree, and for a brief season only, 

 for on these active oyster spawning at such an early date is almost 

 unknown. 



With the inshore lots the story is a different one. On these, even in 

 the colder summers, spawning begins in earnest only a little too late 

 to be effective. In the warmer, more favorable summers it begins 

 two weeks or more before the limit chosen. Spawning on these lots 

 has, therefore, in so far as time is concerned, an excellent chance to 

 be effective. For it really to be effective, however, large plantings of 

 oysters should be maintained on inshore lots — that is, lots within 

 three-quarters of a mile or even a mile of shore. Although the dan- 

 ger from storms prevents the use of quite a portion of the inshore 

 lots, especially those nearest shore and therefore most desirable for 

 the location of oysters for spawning, many of them are available. 

 To keep these well stocked, all planters should cooperate so that one 

 planter may not feel that he is supplying the set for somebody else 

 instead of for himself. With such action properly and continuously 

 carried out, there is, from the data available, substantial evidence 

 that improved sets would result. 



CONCLUSIONS. 



The chief conclusions as to improvement in oyster production in 

 Connecticut are as follows : 



1. For the restoration of the Connecticut oyster industry, in both 

 quantity and quality, to its former productivity, it will be necessary 

 greatly to improve water conditions, especially in the almost barren 

 harl)ors and rivers from which formerly came the more highty 

 prized oysters and in which were produced the vast numbers of 

 o^-ster larva? so largely responsible for the " heavy sets " of the past. 

 To accomplish this, municipal sewage discharge should be controlled, 

 and the discharge of harmful trade wastes, especially those from 

 copper and brass works, should be prevented. 



2. Until a change of conditions in estuaries makes oyster growing 

 in them generally and extensively profitable, any great improvement 

 by methods available at present must be produced by increased 

 " sets " derived from the spawning of Sound caters. Oysters on off- 

 shore Sound lots spawn too late to be effective. On the other hand, 



■^ Annual manuscript reports of Doctor Churchill and the author. Also the work of 

 Drs. Julius and T. C. Nelson (se«? reiwrt of the department of blologj' of the New .Jersey 

 Agricultural College Experiment Station, New Brunswick, N. J., for 1922, p. 330), and 

 experiments by H. F. Prytherch, of the Bureau of Fisheries. 



