﻿REPORT 
  on 
  INQUIRY 
  RESPECTING 
  FOOD 
  FISHES 
  AND 
  THE 
  

   FISHING 
  GROUNDS. 
  

  

  By 
  Hugh 
  M. 
  Smith, 
  Assistant 
  in 
  Cfiarge. 
  

  

  INVESTIGATIONS 
  AND 
  EXPERIMENTS 
  REGARDING 
  SPECIAL 
  

   ECONOMIC 
  ANIMALS. 
  

  

  Experiments 
  at 
  Lynnhaven^ 
  Va. 
  — 
  The 
  Commission 
  has 
  contimied, 
  

   under 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  Dr. 
  H, 
  F. 
  Moore, 
  the 
  03^ster 
  experiments 
  at 
  

   Lynnhaven, 
  Va., 
  the 
  progress 
  of 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  recorded 
  in 
  previous 
  

   reports. 
  During- 
  the 
  preceding 
  3'ears 
  trouble 
  had 
  been 
  encountered 
  

   in 
  maintaining 
  the 
  salinity 
  of 
  the 
  claire 
  in 
  seasons 
  of 
  great 
  rainfall, 
  

   and 
  in 
  the 
  autumn 
  of 
  1902 
  an 
  appliance 
  was 
  installed 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  

   of 
  obviating 
  the 
  difficulty. 
  It 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  14-inch 
  propeller 
  revolv- 
  

   ing 
  on 
  a 
  vertical 
  shaft 
  in 
  a 
  well 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  outer 
  waters 
  by 
  a 
  

   short 
  canal. 
  With 
  the 
  tide 
  at 
  a 
  height 
  of 
  10 
  inches 
  above 
  mean 
  level, 
  

   it 
  is 
  possible 
  to 
  raise 
  the 
  height 
  of 
  the 
  claire 
  one-half 
  inch 
  per 
  hour, 
  

   and 
  the 
  water 
  lost 
  by 
  evaporation 
  and 
  seepage 
  can 
  be 
  replaced 
  by 
  bay 
  

   water 
  of 
  maximum 
  salinity. 
  With 
  the 
  water 
  in 
  the 
  claire 
  always 
  

   maintained 
  at 
  the 
  highest 
  level, 
  rainwater 
  falling 
  on 
  the 
  pond 
  tends 
  

   largely 
  to 
  keep 
  on 
  the 
  surface 
  and 
  spills 
  over 
  the 
  crest 
  of 
  the 
  dam 
  

   without 
  considerably 
  lowering 
  the 
  density 
  of 
  the 
  claire. 
  This 
  is 
  an 
  

   important 
  improvement, 
  as 
  a 
  low 
  salinity 
  makes 
  fattened 
  oysters 
  too 
  

   fresh, 
  injures 
  their 
  flavor, 
  and 
  lessens 
  their 
  value 
  in 
  the 
  markets. 
  

  

  The 
  difficulty 
  heretofore 
  experienced 
  with 
  an 
  occasional 
  "marshi- 
  

   ness 
  " 
  in 
  the 
  flavor 
  of 
  the 
  oysters 
  has 
  been 
  overcome 
  by 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  a 
  

   lime 
  solution 
  in 
  small 
  quantities 
  and 
  the 
  occasional 
  removal 
  of 
  accu- 
  

   mulations 
  of 
  filamentous 
  alg», 
  which, 
  stimulated 
  by 
  the 
  same 
  artificial 
  

   conditions 
  which 
  favor 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  oyster 
  food, 
  tend, 
  under 
  ordinary 
  

   circumstances, 
  to 
  grow 
  luxuriantly. 
  

  

  Owing 
  to 
  delays 
  in 
  the 
  construction 
  of 
  the 
  propeller 
  pump 
  and 
  to 
  

   difficulties 
  encountered 
  in 
  its 
  adjustment 
  to 
  the 
  conditions, 
  the 
  claire 
  

   was 
  not 
  filled 
  with 
  03'sters 
  until 
  late 
  in 
  the 
  season. 
  The 
  product 
  was 
  

   therefore 
  smaller 
  than 
  hoped 
  for 
  and 
  the 
  price 
  realized 
  per 
  barrel 
  was 
  

   less 
  than 
  would 
  have 
  been 
  the 
  case 
  otherwise. 
  From 
  February 
  28 
  to 
  

  

  75 
  

  

  