THE OYSTER-INDUSTRY. 59 



of Virginia oysters were planted than at present— ofteu 20,000 bushels — but the business has changed, until now 

 only 8,000 bushels a year are demanded. The freight from the Chesapeake is 12 cents a bushel, and the following 

 four schooners find employment: J. H. Chaflee, 130 tons; Mary Stow, 100 tons; G. A. Hayden, 108 tons; Helen P., 

 14G tons. 



A fair " set" occurs in Clinton harbor every year, and in 1877 there happened a very heavy one. A certain 

 quantity of this survives, and about 1,000 bushels are utilized annually. The majority of the "native" oysters, 

 however, are raised from seed bought along the shore to the westward, that from Xorwalk being preferred. This 

 costs from 75 cents to $1 a bushel, and is planted in April. It is ready to take up late in the following autumn, 

 and has grown rapidly, and into handsome shape. The quality, also, is most excellent, such oysters selling for from 

 $1 to $1 50 a bushel, at wholesale. The annual production of this stock amounts to 2,000 bushels. The only enemy 

 of the ojster here is the drill ; but this is sadly abundant. 



To recapitulate, Clinton j)roduces annually — 



Bushels. 



Oi'sontbern pl.ants, about - - 8,000 



Of Oounecticut plants, about '2,000 



Of native oysters, about - 1, 000 



Total 11,000 



The total investment here, which at present will not exceed $10,000, is divided among about fifteen planters, 

 and affords a partial livelihood for ijerhaps a score of families. 



The bottom of the margin of the sound off the villages of Madison and East River has been staked off to a 

 considerable extent, but is utilized by only one firm of oyster-producers. Mr. Elihu Kelsey has kindly reported to 

 me, by letter, upon the extent of their operations. Their beds consist of six acres or more, and are near a small 

 island (tailed Overshore. This area is protected on its southern side by high reefs of rocks. They have a second 

 bed of about 12 acres extent, a mile and a half eastward near Tufas island, in 1:0 feet of water, with hard, sandy 

 bottom, where they are experimenting. They also own a third bed near Guilford harbor of 24 acres, on which they 

 have s])read "2,000 bushels of shells and a good many small stones, on which the oysters 'set' and grew for four 

 years, and were the best in the world; but the water is too shoal without artificial protection, and the storms and 

 thieves have ruined the bed". As not enough "set" is caught upon the stools, a thousand bushels or so of seed- 

 oysters are annually raked from the natural beds in the vicinity of East Eiver, or bought from dealers in Stony 

 Creek and New Haven and planted upon the beds. These various beds yielded, during 1879, about 1,200 bushels, 

 the most of which were sold in the shell at $1 to $1 50 per bushel. For opened oysters $1 60 a gallon was received. 

 jSTo southern oysters were liandled in any shape. In respect to the drawbacks and general condition of the business 

 at East Kiver, Mr. Kelsey writes: "The first drawback to success is the lack of good protection from storms 

 which might be remedied by the construction of a breakwater. The second is the constant alteration of the state 

 laws designed to protect the industry. The third drawback is thieving. The present condition of our producing 

 beds is good ; and the ])rospect is, that with plenty of hard labor our venture will be remunerative. We find the 

 character of the soil to be of the greatest importance. On our producing-bed the mineral ingredient of the soil is 

 iron. This renders the oysters healthy and of the finest flavor, so that our customers say they cannot be excelled." 



Oystek-culture in Guilford. — At Guilford some inshore ground is cultivated, but this is not of great 

 capacity. Outside, west of Goose island, they have improved about IGO acres in water from seven to ten fathoms 

 deep, upon a hard, sandy bottom. This outer tract has not as yet had time to yield much. The spreading of shells 

 in the hope of catching spawn, appears futile, for the sufticieut reason that there are no living oysters in the vicinity 

 to produce the spat. A large quantity of seed has therefore been placed on this area. This seed was imx-ured 

 partly in the Guilford river, although there is great opposition to its being taken, aud has largely been bought in the 

 western part of the state. Besides this, several hundred bushels of large-sized oysters have been scattered among 

 the planted shells, to i)r(>duce the spawn which it is desired to catch. A small set has already been obtained, and 

 next year some harvest will begin. 



The oysters heretofore and at present obtained at Guilford, from the artificial inshore beds which have been in 

 existence for thirty years, are of large size and fine shape. Their flavor is excellent. Formerly they were sold 

 regularly to Hartford buyers at $8 and $9 a barrel ; now, however, they are worth on'y $1 to $3. About 800 bushels 

 a year comprise the total yield at present. No Virginia oysters are planted at Guilford. Experiments showed that 

 the practice was not successful. The great drawback upon the inshore ground is the drifting of sand and mud, 

 which is likely to occur in storms; the drills, also, are troublesome, but I did not hear that starfishes had caused 

 much damage thus far. 



The native i iver-oysters at Guilford formerly lined the whole river, opposite the town, for three or four miles. 

 A town-regulation early prohibited the taking of more than two bushels a day by one person, but this has been 

 more or less evaded, and now the fishery is of little value, all the oysters taken being very small; yet there is so 

 strong a popular prejudice against utilizing any of this product in seeding the artificial beds, or against allotting 



