THE OYSTER. 157 



This table shows that while it is necessary, in 1883, 

 to handle 161 bushels of oysters and shells to obtain 

 100 bushels of oysters, it was necessary to handle only 

 151 bushels in 1879 and only 127 bushels in 1876. 



This evidence, in connection with that which has 

 been given in Table i, seems to prove that the whole 

 oyster area of our State is being rapidly exhausted. 



THE RATIO BETWEEN LARGE AND SMALL OYSTERS. 



Any bed is on the road to destruction if the number 

 of old oysters which are removed from it each year is 

 as great as the number of young ones which are grow- 

 ing up to take their places. Oysters, like other ani- 

 mals, are exposed to many accidents, and the number 

 which can be taken from a bed annually is equal to 

 the number which are growing up to take their places, 

 less the number which will be d^^troyed by the acci- 

 dents of nature. 



An accurate count of the oysters of various ages 

 upon a bed, therefore, gives us a means of deciding 

 whether it is or is not in danger of exhaustion. 



We have examined in this way the oysters upon 

 the beds which we have visited, and have divided 

 them into four classes. The first class includes 

 large oysters, or all oysters of which a bushel does 

 not contain more than 250; the second class includes 

 medium oysters, or those between 250 and 400 to the 

 bushel ; the third class includes the small oysters, 

 those which are large enough to be seen and counted 

 without difficulty, and more than 400 t-o the bushel ; 

 and the fourth class, or " young," those which are less 

 than one-half inch long. 



