48 U. S. BUEEAU OF FISHEKIES 



little value as seed oysters or as adults. The extensive coon oyster 

 beds in the South Atlantic and Gulf States are outstanding evidence 

 of this fact. The purpose, therefore, in developing these new meth- 

 ods and devices is to reduce this unnecessary loss of seed oysters as 

 much as possible and to obtain the most efficient utilization of these 

 intensive setting areas. 



The plan of the experiments was twofold, namely: (1) To in- 

 crease the amount of surface available in a given area for attachment 

 of the oyster larvce, which would not only reduce the number of spat 

 per unit of surface and allow more room for growth, but would 

 greatly increase the number of bushels of seed oysters that could 

 be produced on a limited area of bottom; and (2) to find a material 

 to which the larvae would attach that would be superior to shells, in 

 that it would break apart and allow the spat room for growth when 

 they were a few months old. For example, on 1 square inch of sur- 

 face of oyster shell an original set of 100 or more spat becomes re- 

 duced to approximately 50 in one month, 25 in two months, and 

 finally 1 or 2 at the end of the year. (See fig. 4.) It is obvious, 

 therefore, that a collecting material which would allow. separation of 

 spat 1, 2, or 3 months old would prevent death of a large number 

 and produce well-shaped seed oysters. 



Two types of seed-oyster collectors which fulfill one or both of 

 the previously outlined, requirements have been developed, tested, 

 and applied successfully on a small commercial scale. One type 

 consists of an elongated wire bag, which can be filled with oyster 

 or other shells and planted on the bottom singly or in tiers. The 

 other and latest-developed collector consists of a series of compart- 

 ments or partitions of waterproof cardboard, resembling an egg- 

 crate filler, which are coated with a mixture of lime, cement, and 

 sand. It will perhaps be convenient in subsequent discussion of the 

 construction and use of these collectors to speak of the first as the 

 wire bag and the second as the partition type. 



Though both of these collectors were devised by the author, he 

 is greatly indebted to Capt. Charles E. Wheeler, of the Connecticut 

 Oyster Farms Co., and to W. H. Raye, president of the General 

 Seafoods (Corp.), for their suggestions and improvements. Captain 

 Wheeler supplied the original idea for our first experiments in 

 1925, in which we used 1-bushel wire baskets, filled with various 

 kinds of shells, on which thousands of spat were collected. The 

 final step in perfecting the partition collectors and making them of 

 practical value is due to the plan of Mr. Eaye for using a lime or 

 cementlike coating, which offered an ideal surface for collection of 

 the spat and their subsequent separation into single seed oysters. 



The experiments with the different collectors were carried "on in 

 several localities in cooperation with the following parties and con- 

 cerns, to whom the bureau is indebted for slipplying materials, men, 

 and boats for this work: Milford Harbor, Conn., C. E. Wheeler, 

 Connecticut Oyster Farms Co. ; New Haven Harbor, Conn., F. Mans- 

 field Oyster Co.; East Haven Harbor, Conn., H. W. Beach, Con- 

 necticut Shellfish Commission; Branford Harbor, Conn., E. Ball & 

 Co. ; Onset Harbor, Mass., Besse & Schroeder Co. ; and Great South 

 Bay. Long Island, P. Mercer, Blue Points Co. 



