﻿250 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  Data 
  showing 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  industry 
  in 
  all 
  its 
  branches 
  

   were 
  collected 
  by 
  Mr. 
  C. 
  H. 
  Stevenson. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  investigation 
  of 
  the 
  biological 
  and 
  physical 
  conditions 
  of 
  the 
  

   oysters 
  and 
  oyster 
  beds, 
  the 
  following 
  factors 
  were 
  considered: 
  (1) 
  The 
  

   organisms 
  that 
  make 
  up 
  the 
  food 
  of 
  the 
  North 
  Carolina 
  oysters; 
  (2) 
  

   the 
  source 
  of 
  this 
  supply 
  and 
  its 
  richness 
  in 
  different 
  localities 
  and 
  

   at 
  different 
  seasons 
  of 
  the 
  year; 
  (3) 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  bottoms 
  of 
  different 
  

   character 
  upon 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  oysters; 
  (4) 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  water 
  of 
  differ- 
  

   ent 
  densities 
  vipon 
  the 
  growth 
  and 
  condition 
  of 
  oysters; 
  (5) 
  the 
  enemies 
  

   and 
  diseases 
  of 
  North 
  Carolina 
  oysters; 
  (6) 
  the 
  animals 
  and 
  plants 
  that 
  

   are 
  found 
  living 
  with 
  the 
  oysters 
  on 
  natural 
  and 
  planted 
  l)eds. 
  

  

  The 
  experiments 
  were 
  designed 
  (1) 
  to 
  determine 
  whether 
  it 
  is 
  possi- 
  

   ble 
  to 
  develop 
  a 
  profitable 
  industry 
  in 
  oyster 
  culture 
  in 
  North 
  Carolina 
  

   on 
  the 
  grounds 
  available 
  for 
  planting 
  purposes, 
  and 
  (2) 
  in 
  case 
  no 
  

   insurmountable 
  obstacles 
  to 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  marketable 
  oysters 
  on 
  these 
  

   grounds 
  should 
  be 
  found 
  to 
  exist, 
  to 
  develop 
  simple 
  methods 
  of 
  oyster 
  

   culture 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  failures 
  hitherto 
  attending 
  attempts 
  to 
  grow 
  

   oysters 
  on 
  planted 
  beds 
  might 
  be 
  avoided 
  in 
  futui-e 
  operations. 
  

  

  Owing 
  to 
  additional 
  duties, 
  it 
  became 
  necessary 
  at 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  

   the 
  second 
  season 
  for 
  me 
  to 
  hav^e 
  an 
  assistant 
  in 
  the 
  experimental 
  work, 
  

   and 
  Mr. 
  O. 
  C. 
  Glaser 
  was 
  employed. 
  The 
  experiments 
  were 
  at 
  first 
  

   conducted 
  jointly, 
  but 
  during 
  the 
  third 
  season 
  Mr, 
  Glaser 
  was 
  alone 
  

   in 
  that 
  phase 
  of 
  the 
  investigations, 
  following 
  the 
  original 
  plans, 
  how- 
  

   ever, 
  and 
  using 
  the 
  methods 
  already 
  adopted. 
  He 
  also 
  began 
  some 
  

   further 
  experiments 
  on 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  oysters, 
  a 
  description 
  of 
  which 
  

   is 
  included 
  in 
  this 
  report 
  (pages 
  329-341). 
  

  

  The 
  survey 
  of 
  the 
  oj^ster 
  grounds 
  and 
  the 
  experiments 
  in 
  oyster 
  

   planting 
  have 
  been 
  carried 
  on 
  jointly 
  by 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  Fish 
  Com- 
  

   mission 
  and 
  the 
  North 
  Carolina 
  Geological 
  Survey, 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  

   the 
  expense 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  former 
  being 
  paid 
  by 
  the 
  Fish 
  Com- 
  

   mission, 
  the 
  Geological 
  Survey 
  paying 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  cost 
  of 
  

   the 
  experiments. 
  To 
  Prof. 
  J. 
  A. 
  Holmes, 
  State 
  geologist 
  of 
  North 
  

   Carolina, 
  is 
  due 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  credit 
  for 
  any 
  advantage 
  to 
  the 
  oyster 
  

   industr}^ 
  of 
  North 
  Carolina 
  that 
  may 
  result 
  from 
  this 
  investigation. 
  

   It 
  was 
  at 
  his 
  suggestion 
  that 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  Fish 
  Commission 
  began 
  

   the 
  work, 
  and 
  his 
  plans 
  have 
  been 
  followed 
  b}' 
  those 
  in 
  charge 
  of 
  the 
  

   various 
  lines 
  of 
  investigation. 
  Prof. 
  W. 
  K. 
  Brooks 
  and 
  Prof. 
  H. 
  V. 
  

   Wilson 
  were 
  also 
  consulted 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  biological 
  work, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  

   a 
  pleasure 
  to 
  acknowledge 
  the 
  helpfulness 
  of 
  their 
  advice 
  and 
  encour- 
  

   agement, 
  Mr. 
  Hollister 
  Potter, 
  of 
  Beaufort, 
  generously 
  placed 
  at 
  our 
  

   disposal 
  the 
  oyster 
  shells 
  needed 
  for 
  the 
  planting 
  experiments, 
  and 
  I 
  

   take 
  this 
  opportunit}^ 
  to 
  thank 
  him 
  publicl}^ 
  for 
  the 
  many 
  evidences 
  of 
  

   the 
  sympathetic 
  and 
  intelligent 
  interest 
  he 
  has 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  work 
  from 
  

   its 
  beginnmg. 
  Thanks 
  are 
  also 
  due 
  to 
  Capt. 
  J. 
  A. 
  Smith, 
  the 
  other 
  

  

  