114 KEPOKT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



roads in about the saiiic ]»roi)oitioii. If kept cleared froiii any jiiven 

 area, those owning l)e(ls around the margin liav<' the most to do in 

 fighting tliem, and in so doing they shield their neighbors. jMntual 

 and ])ersistent eliorts in this direetion furnish the only means by ^vhich 

 all the beds can irt present be protected, and by co<ipcration not only 

 may the destructiveness of starfishes be greatly lessened, and the secur- 

 ity of the beds be more or less insured, but the cost of removing star- 

 fish or of guaiding against their attacks will fall less heavily on the 

 planters Avho are now most active in their watchfulness. It is these 

 men whose grounds are kept in the best condition and who are secur- 

 ing the most benefits, while those who are careless or indifferent in 

 their attentions are subject at any time to heavy or entire losses. 



It is generally considered that the beds or parts of beds in close prox- 

 imity to a reef or other obstruction on the bottom are among the most 

 liable to be invaded at frequent intervals, as the starfishes can not be 

 completely eradicated from such places. The natural beds may also be 

 cited as a fruitful source of danger, in that the stars may breed and 

 grow ui)on them practically undisturbed, and may at any time pass to 

 the neighboring cultivated areas. Steam dredging is not allowed upon 

 these public grounds; no one is responsible for their condition, and no 

 one has the power, even if he had means and interest, to keep them free 

 from pests. As matters stand at present they are a constant menace 

 to valuable private interests — a condition of affairs never tolerated in 

 resi)ect to agricultural pursuits. 



Despite tlie amount of damage caused by natural enemies, the oys- 

 ter industry of Connecticnt is exceedingly prosperous, yet no one doubts 

 that this prosperity might be increased by a removal of this source 

 of injury. While tliis can, probably, not be done effectuallj^, a great 

 measure of i)rotection might be afforded through the intervention of 

 the State, as well as by a reduction in the relative extent of the planted 

 area to such a limit that all the grounds could be under constant 

 supervision. The greater losses have resulted from a lack of vigilance, 

 and unfortunately the diligtiut cultiNator is too often made to suffer 

 from his neighl)or's carelessness. In tho, ISTorxtalk district they do not, 

 as a rule, attempt to cultivate more ground than they can properly 

 attend to, and a reduction in the abundance of starfishes has been noted 

 there, but the same was not found to be tlie case in some of the other 

 districts examined. 



During 1888 and 1889 only a small set of spat was secured through- 

 out the sound, and a great amount of damage by starfishes was re- 

 corded, in 1800, however, a heavy set Avas obtained, althougli it was 

 not evenly distributed. It wa« fairly good from tlie Thimble Islands to 

 the Milford district, being very abundant in the latter region, and es- 

 pecially so on the natural bed otf Stratford ami on some of the planted 

 grounds in the same vicinity. The J'egion farther west was less favored 

 in this respect, except in some places of limited extent. 



