THE OYSTER-INDUSTRY. 75 



Jidi/ 2. — Maxwell finisliod spreading shells in the ditcli for the present. For the past -ncek I have kept the ditch with aliont 4 feet of 

 water in it in order to let the sun heat the water and make the oysters all spawn ahont the same time. I have also shut out the tide and 

 let flow in as much fresh water as possible, as an abunilant supi)ly is. supposed to l)cnoiit the oysters while sjiawuiug. 



July 10. — Examined shells and oysters in the fort ditch this morning. The native oysters of the ditch seem to be about half-doue 

 spawning, while those taken from lot No. 422 — very large, flue, single oysters, say four years old — seem just ready to spawn. The shells 

 put in July 1 are coated with slime, fine sea-grasses, and now and then a speck which looks as if it might be spat. 



At the end of July the aitthor sums up his summer's labors, and counts over 10,000 bushels of stools planted, at 

 a cost of from 5 to 7 cents laid down, or a total of $688 50. 



Jiiljl 28. — I have also laid down, as an experiment, what is equal to 50 bushels an acre of smooth stones on lot 179, to keep the shells 

 from shit'tiug. and also to see if the spawn will set on the stones. 



We are oft'ered any quantities of shells for 2 cents per bushel in the heap, or laid down for .'i cents. We have paid as hi'^h as 5 cents 



a bushel for shells Ijrought from Fair Haven river, but can now get the same work done for 4 cents, and 3|. II G has planted 



177 bushels of shells taken from the saltpeter works for 2 J cents; William E. 15 furnishes shells, laid down, for 5 cents per bushel; and 



William G will let us have 5,000 bushels for 2 cents, or have them laid down for 5 cents. 



On August 1, Mr. Towusend tabulated his estimated wealth in oysters — the season being now over — as follows: 



Bushels. 



Young seed, from' shells 8, 150 



Old seed, river and cove 6,000 



Fort ditch 1,500 



Scattering sources 1,500 



Virginia plants , 3,000 



Total 20,150 



August 2. — This day examined two oyster-lots in Morris cove, the first a triangular lot near Jlorris' wharf. » * * Wg gjjjj j^ -^qH 

 stocked, and also aflbrding good clamming, but the growth of oysters there is very slow. This is oue of the oldest beds in the cove and 

 there are oysters on it seven or eight years old. The second, ofl' Nettleton's, ranges as follows: » * * This lot was seeded in 18(J(>-'67 

 and the oysters have not grown since the first year. Clams in abundance. 



I notice that the oysters at Morris' aud in the harbor are out of spawn, but we see no signs of young oysters yet. 



September 1. — Have examined carefully the shells laid down to catch spawn, and have not as yet found one young oyster, either in the 

 fort ditch or in the harbor lots. We hear of a slight set in the cove and off the light-house. Moulthrop has been employed in the cove 

 and has brought up and laid down on lot No. 413, about 150 bushels of oysters, which were very fat, but had not grown enough to pay for 

 planting, in three years; and I am convinced from actual observation that Morris cove, insideof the base-line, is not a productive sjjot for 

 seed-oysters. Otf-shore, and between Slorris' wharf and the light-house, they may do better, as they get more current and fresh water. 

 If the brook running east of Thompson's house could be let into the cove about at Parker's house, I think it would improve oyster-culture 

 between the fort and the light-house, .§100 per annum. 



Moulthrop has taken several bushels of clams from lots 250 and 207, aud reports good clamming, something we will pay attention 

 to next year. 



The Virginia oysters planted on Black Rock bar have " sanded " somewhat, and, with the exception of a small spot in the sluice, the 

 ground north of a line running to Hugh Waters' is not fit to plant on again, as I notice that some sand-ridges have shifted two rods since 

 spring. These oysters (a lot of 1,080 bushels, from schooner Albert Field, planted May 14, being all Ihat lived out of a cargo in bad 

 condition when put down) have grown about 50 per cent, in three and a half months. If allowed to remain until December 1, they ought 

 to be double their size when put overboard. Some of them are still in spawn, but are fit to open now, and their flavor is the same as that 

 of the fort oysters. 



We also planted 1,920 bushels, from the same vessel, on Crane's bar, in 2 and 3 feet of water (low tide) and on softer bottom, and in 

 less current; they have not done as well. 



Oystermen report native oysters fat, but cannot account for it, as we have not had rain for three months. They say the reason the 

 spawn has not matured this year is because the water has been so salt that it has killed the spawn. * Moulthrop has also caught up 500 

 bushels of natives i>lantcd on lot No. 401, and has laid them down for fall use on the flats off the mouth of the creek. 



October 1. — During the last two weeks we have sold about 175 bushels of oysters, and bought about 400 bushels of cove seed, and laid 

 it down for next year. We have also liegun to open a few oysters to try the market, but the weather is so warm dealers do not care to 

 buy. The seed planted in the spring looks thrifty and clean. The drills have made some havoc, and we hear of starfish ofl' the Pardee 

 buoy. 



October 23. — Returned from Boston last night, and this afternoon went out with Moiilthrop to examine the oysters laid down as an 

 experiment, on Black Rock bar. We find that the tidal wave occasioned by the shock of an earthiiuake last Thursday, has done considerable 

 havoc among the oyster-beds. For the last two summers the growth of sea- weed on the flats has been very abundant, and as there was 

 no ice last winterto clean it off, this year's growth, with the old growth, made the quantity double ; the hot sun this summer having killed it 

 all, and left it to decay. When the tidal wave came up the harbor from soulh-southvest to north-northeast, it is reported to have combed up 2 

 feet, by captains of vessels lying at anchor, and it swept before it all the mass of loose decayed sea^weed, and i>iled in windrows all the way from 

 the Townsend creek to Crane's bar, comijletely smothering 500 bushels of oysters laid down at the mouth of the creek. It also altered 

 the whole south and west side of Black Rock bar, and has destroyed hundreds of bushels of fine Virginia oysters, the sand In some places 

 being 2 feet high. It has also tossed the oysters abont in every direction, and our loss cannot be counted up at present, but we found 

 oysters half a mile from their beds, which shows the strength of the tidal wave to have been great. 



I find the oysters laid down as an experiment have all done well, except those laid down just north of the breakwater, off" King's 

 island. They are poor, which 1 attribute to not having fresh water, and I will iu the spring open a creek through the meadow, which 

 will give a good supply ; as I believe the salt meadows are full of fine springs of fresh water, and if drained will not only benefit the 



*This and the previous sentence refer to popular traditions which no evidence supports as true. — E. I. 



