﻿76 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  May 
  6, 
  166 
  barrels 
  were 
  shipped. 
  During 
  April, 
  the 
  only 
  month 
  when 
  

   the 
  claire 
  was 
  operated 
  at 
  any 
  approximation 
  to 
  its 
  full 
  capacity, 
  93 
  

   barrels 
  were 
  fattened 
  and 
  the 
  average 
  price 
  realized 
  was 
  $4 
  per 
  barrel. 
  

  

  In 
  order 
  that 
  the 
  system 
  may 
  be 
  commercially 
  applicable 
  a 
  higher 
  

   price 
  must 
  be 
  received, 
  and 
  to 
  accomplish 
  this 
  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  to 
  be 
  

   assured 
  of 
  a 
  constant 
  supply 
  of 
  oysters 
  earlj^ 
  in 
  the 
  season, 
  when 
  the 
  

   most 
  advantageous 
  shipping 
  arrangements 
  can 
  be 
  entered 
  into. 
  It 
  is 
  

   believed 
  that 
  these 
  conditions 
  can 
  be 
  attained 
  during 
  the 
  next 
  fiscal 
  

   year. 
  

  

  Oysters 
  in 
  Sheepscot 
  Biver^ 
  Maine. 
  — 
  During 
  the 
  summer 
  of 
  1902 
  

   the 
  attention 
  of 
  the 
  Commission 
  was 
  called 
  to 
  the 
  recent 
  volunteer 
  

   growth 
  of 
  oysters 
  in 
  oheepscot 
  River, 
  and 
  Dr. 
  W. 
  C. 
  Kendall, 
  who 
  

   was 
  conducting 
  other 
  inquiries 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity, 
  was 
  directed 
  to 
  make 
  

   an 
  investigation 
  of 
  the 
  facts. 
  It 
  was 
  found 
  that 
  in 
  general 
  the 
  oysters 
  

   extend 
  from 
  near 
  the 
  dam 
  at 
  Sheepscot 
  village 
  to 
  about 
  2 
  miles 
  above 
  

   that 
  place 
  wherever 
  the}^ 
  have 
  found 
  proper 
  bottom. 
  It 
  is 
  probable 
  

   that 
  the 
  area 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  could 
  be 
  considerably 
  increased 
  by 
  the 
  dis- 
  

   tribution 
  of 
  suitable 
  cultch. 
  At 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  settlement 
  of 
  the 
  

   country 
  productive 
  beds 
  existed 
  in 
  this 
  river, 
  but 
  about 
  1860 
  they 
  

   ceased 
  to 
  exist, 
  although 
  occasional 
  large 
  oysters 
  have 
  been 
  taken 
  

   from 
  time 
  to 
  time 
  since 
  then. 
  No 
  young 
  oysters 
  were 
  noticed 
  until 
  

   about 
  1898, 
  but 
  since 
  then 
  there 
  has 
  been 
  a 
  set 
  of 
  spat 
  each 
  j^ear. 
  

   Just 
  what 
  change 
  of 
  condition 
  has 
  brought 
  this 
  about 
  is 
  not 
  known, 
  

   and 
  further 
  inquiry 
  into 
  the 
  matter 
  is 
  contemplated 
  by 
  the 
  Commission. 
  

  

  Oyster 
  planting 
  in 
  North 
  Carolina. 
  — 
  In 
  collaboration 
  with 
  the 
  

   geological 
  and 
  natural 
  histor}^ 
  survey 
  of 
  North 
  Carolina, 
  the 
  Com- 
  

   mission 
  has 
  conducted, 
  through 
  the 
  Beaufort 
  laboratory, 
  experiments 
  

   in 
  oyster 
  culture 
  in 
  Pamlico 
  Sound 
  and 
  Newport 
  and 
  North 
  rivers. 
  

   The 
  maintenance 
  of 
  experimental 
  beds 
  has 
  been 
  continued 
  with 
  a 
  view 
  

   to 
  determining 
  the 
  factors, 
  favorable 
  and 
  unfavorable, 
  which 
  confront 
  

   the 
  commercial 
  oyster 
  planter 
  in 
  North 
  Carolina, 
  and 
  to 
  devise 
  the 
  

   best 
  means 
  of 
  overcoming 
  the 
  untoward 
  conditions. 
  A 
  subject 
  of 
  

   some 
  interest, 
  which 
  was 
  under 
  consideration 
  by 
  Mr. 
  O. 
  C. 
  Glaser, 
  was 
  

   the 
  production 
  of 
  normally 
  shaped 
  oj^sters 
  from 
  reef 
  oysters 
  and 
  the 
  

   artificial 
  production 
  of 
  reef 
  oysters 
  from 
  well-shaped 
  ones. 
  

  

  Oyster 
  culture 
  in 
  Japan. 
  — 
  Taking 
  advantage 
  of 
  a 
  visit 
  to 
  Japan 
  

   by 
  Dr. 
  Bashford 
  Dean, 
  of 
  Columbia 
  University, 
  New 
  York, 
  the 
  

   Commission 
  arranged 
  to 
  have 
  this 
  well-known 
  biologist 
  investigate 
  

   and 
  report 
  on 
  the 
  methods 
  of 
  oyster 
  cultivation 
  there 
  pursued. 
  

   Doctor 
  Dean's 
  report,^' 
  issued 
  in 
  February, 
  1903, 
  is 
  the 
  first 
  publica- 
  

   tion 
  in 
  the 
  English 
  language 
  dealing 
  in 
  detail 
  with 
  the 
  elapanese 
  

   oysters 
  and 
  their 
  cultivation, 
  and 
  is 
  an 
  important 
  and 
  timely 
  con- 
  

   tribution, 
  especially 
  in 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  proposed 
  acclimatization 
  and 
  

   cultivation 
  of 
  Japanese 
  oysters 
  on 
  the 
  Pacific 
  coast 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  

  

  a 
  Japanese 
  Oyster 
  Culture. 
  Bulletin 
  U. 
  S. 
  Fish 
  Commission, 
  1902. 
  

  

  