﻿INVHSTIOATIONS 
  FOR 
  THll 
  PROMOTION 
  OF 
  THF 
  ()YSTF:R 
  

   INDUSTRY 
  OF 
  NORTH 
  CAROLINA. 
  

  

  By 
  Caswell 
  (trave, 
  Pli. 
  TX, 
  

   Director 
  of 
  Fiffheririi 
  Lahoratori/, 
  Beaufort, 
  N. 
  C 
  

  

  INTRODUCTION. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  report 
  is 
  based 
  upon 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  physical 
  and 
  

   biological 
  conditions 
  of 
  natural 
  and 
  planted 
  oyster 
  beds 
  in 
  various 
  

   localities 
  in 
  North 
  Carolina, 
  and 
  contains 
  a 
  record 
  of 
  experiments 
  in 
  

   oyster 
  culture 
  conducted 
  in 
  Newport 
  and 
  North 
  rivers 
  near 
  Beaufort. 
  

   The 
  physical 
  and 
  biological 
  investigations, 
  which 
  were 
  conducted 
  from 
  

   the 
  U. 
  S. 
  Fish 
  Commission 
  steamer 
  Fish 
  Hawk^ 
  were 
  begun 
  in 
  

   October, 
  1899, 
  and, 
  after 
  an 
  interruption 
  extending 
  from 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  

   March 
  to 
  the 
  first 
  of 
  November, 
  were 
  completed 
  in 
  December, 
  1900. 
  

   The 
  experimental 
  work 
  covered 
  a 
  period 
  of 
  three 
  3^ 
  ears, 
  beginning 
  

   in 
  April, 
  1900. 
  

  

  The 
  objects 
  of 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  the 
  Fish 
  Hawk 
  were: 
  (1) 
  To 
  ascertain 
  

   the 
  present 
  extent 
  and 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  natural 
  oyster 
  beds 
  in 
  certain 
  

   sections, 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  comparison 
  with 
  determinations 
  by 
  Wins- 
  

   low 
  on 
  the 
  same 
  ground 
  in 
  1886-1888; 
  (2) 
  to 
  study 
  comparatively 
  the 
  

   biological 
  conditions 
  of 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  good 
  natural 
  oyster 
  beds 
  and 
  

   typical 
  planted 
  areas, 
  with 
  the 
  object 
  of 
  determining 
  the 
  natural 
  cause, 
  

   if 
  such 
  exists, 
  for 
  the 
  failure 
  of 
  the 
  planted 
  beds; 
  (3) 
  to 
  study 
  the 
  

   physical 
  and 
  biological 
  characters 
  of 
  the 
  bottom 
  and 
  water 
  of 
  various 
  

   localities 
  for 
  comparison 
  with 
  the 
  conditions 
  prevailing 
  on 
  good 
  oyster- 
  

   producing 
  localities 
  of 
  the 
  North, 
  and 
  (4) 
  to 
  collect 
  statistics 
  bearing 
  

   upon 
  the 
  value 
  and 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  fishery 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  in 
  the 
  past 
  

   and 
  at 
  the 
  present 
  time. 
  

  

  Boatswain 
  James 
  A. 
  Smith, 
  U. 
  S. 
  Navy, 
  commanding 
  the 
  J^/s/i 
  ii^w^, 
  

   assisted 
  by 
  Mr. 
  W. 
  F. 
  Hill, 
  of 
  the 
  U. 
  S. 
  Fish 
  Commission, 
  conducted 
  

   the 
  hydrographic 
  survey 
  of 
  the 
  sections 
  investigated 
  and 
  made 
  accu- 
  

   rate 
  charts 
  of 
  "each, 
  showing 
  the 
  natural 
  and 
  planted 
  oyster 
  beds, 
  the 
  

   character 
  of 
  the 
  bottom, 
  the 
  depth 
  of 
  the 
  water, 
  the 
  direction 
  and 
  

   velocity 
  of 
  the 
  currents, 
  and 
  such 
  other 
  conditions 
  as 
  may, 
  directly 
  or 
  

   indirectly, 
  affect 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  oysters. 
  

  

  