Oyster Culture in America 119 



market, is certainly without foundation; for it would 

 come gradually, and the market might easily be made 

 much more extensive than it now is. Nothing but good 

 could come to the industry from its gradual extension and 

 improvement. Again, seed gathered on collectors, while 

 somewhat more expensive, is in every way superior to 

 seed from natural beds. It is of uniform size. When 

 planted, it all comes to maturity at nearly the same time. 

 Young oysters so gathered are best able to withstand 

 changes in environment encountered when the transfer is 

 made to planting grounds in different localities. The in- 

 crease in volume, also, is much more rapid and relatively 

 much greater when the small seed from collectors is used. 



On the other hand, oysters taken from natural beds 

 for planting, are of all sizes and ages. To put the seed 

 into good condition for planting, it should be separated 

 from oysters of larger growth. To grade oysters taken 

 from a natural bed according to size, requires much labor. 

 Usually all are planted together. The young must grow 

 with the old, which are often weakened by the changed 

 conditions, and grow slowly. Many of these old oysters 

 are ill-shaped, and can be very little improved. 



More important still, the development of a branch of 

 oyster culture for the collection of seed, would give 

 stability to the whole industry. If the natural set should 

 fail at one point, seed might be obtained at another, and 

 probably not distant locality, where it had been collected 

 for sale. Under such conditions there would be no lean 

 seasons in the oyster territory. 



Before the beginnings of oyster culture were made in 

 Europe, the method of culture employed to-day had been 

 established in our own country. From the fact that the 

 young become attached to any clean, hard, foreign body 



