﻿268 
  REPOKT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  The 
  future 
  history 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  beds 
  of 
  these 
  rivers 
  is 
  likely 
  to 
  be 
  

   similar 
  to 
  the 
  past, 
  periods 
  of 
  productiveness 
  followed 
  by 
  lonoer 
  or 
  

   shorter 
  intervals 
  during 
  which 
  the 
  03'sters 
  are 
  not 
  salable. 
  These 
  

   changes 
  may 
  be 
  brought 
  about 
  by 
  a 
  combination 
  of 
  factors, 
  but 
  the 
  

   one 
  having 
  the 
  greatest 
  influence 
  is 
  probably 
  the 
  specific 
  gravity 
  of 
  

   the 
  water. 
  

  

  PLANTED 
  GROUNDS. 
  

  

  Oj-sters 
  were 
  first 
  planted 
  in 
  the 
  Beaufort 
  region 
  about 
  the 
  year 
  

   1840, 
  a 
  Mr. 
  Uardesty 
  having 
  bedded 
  a 
  small 
  quantity 
  during 
  that 
  year 
  

   at 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  Harlow 
  Creek. 
  Many 
  such 
  plantings 
  were 
  made 
  from 
  

   this 
  time 
  until 
  about 
  1859, 
  and 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  then 
  planted 
  have 
  

   continued 
  to 
  the 
  present. 
  The 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  planters 
  was 
  not 
  to 
  raise 
  

   oysters 
  for 
  commercial 
  purposes, 
  but 
  for 
  their 
  own 
  use, 
  as 
  is 
  shown 
  by 
  

   the 
  name 
  which 
  they 
  gave 
  to 
  their 
  beds 
  — 
  "oyster 
  gardens 
  "^ 
  — 
  a 
  name, 
  

   by 
  the 
  way, 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  retained 
  throughout 
  the 
  State 
  for 
  all 
  

   planted 
  grounds. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  survey 
  the 
  Hardesty 
  bed 
  was 
  examined 
  on 
  several 
  occa- 
  

   sions 
  and 
  several 
  bushels 
  of 
  the 
  oj^sters 
  were 
  used 
  on 
  the 
  Fkh 
  Ilawl',. 
  

   They 
  were 
  large, 
  well 
  shaped, 
  and 
  in 
  excellent 
  condition. 
  The 
  area 
  

   of 
  the 
  planted 
  ground 
  is 
  necessarily 
  small, 
  being 
  situated 
  in 
  a 
  bend 
  in 
  

   the 
  creek 
  about 
  li 
  miles 
  from 
  its 
  mouth. 
  The 
  bottom 
  is 
  hard 
  now, 
  

   although 
  originally 
  it 
  was 
  probably 
  quite 
  soft, 
  like 
  the 
  bottoms 
  above 
  

   and 
  below 
  the 
  bed. 
  The 
  density 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  is 
  subject 
  to 
  great 
  and 
  

   rapid 
  fluctuations, 
  the 
  supply 
  of 
  salt 
  water, 
  coming 
  from 
  Newport 
  

   River 
  and 
  at 
  times 
  from 
  the 
  Neuse 
  through 
  the 
  "Club 
  Foot" 
  Canal, 
  

   being 
  greatly 
  influenced 
  by 
  the 
  wind. 
  An 
  abundant 
  suppl}^ 
  of 
  fresh 
  

   water 
  flows 
  in 
  from 
  the 
  extensive 
  marshes 
  lying 
  all 
  about. 
  The 
  min- 
  

   imum 
  density 
  noted 
  over 
  the 
  bed 
  was 
  1.0028 
  and 
  the 
  maximum 
  I.OIGI; 
  

   the 
  depth 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  is 
  from 
  4 
  to 
  7 
  feet. 
  It 
  is 
  the 
  supposition 
  of 
  

   the 
  oystermen 
  that 
  the 
  oysters 
  here 
  are 
  fattened 
  by 
  food 
  which 
  comes 
  

   with 
  the 
  fresh 
  water 
  from 
  the 
  marshes; 
  examinations 
  did 
  not 
  confirm 
  

   this 
  view, 
  however, 
  but 
  showed 
  that 
  the 
  food 
  comes 
  from 
  the 
  same 
  

   salt 
  and 
  brackish-water 
  sources 
  that 
  supply 
  the 
  oysters 
  of 
  Newport 
  

   Eiver. 
  This 
  bed 
  has 
  been 
  mentioned 
  because 
  it 
  is 
  an 
  example 
  of 
  a 
  

   continuously 
  successful 
  one, 
  situated 
  in 
  a 
  place 
  which 
  has 
  no 
  more 
  to 
  

   commend 
  it 
  to 
  an 
  oyster 
  planter 
  than 
  numerous 
  other 
  larger 
  areas 
  in 
  

   Newport 
  and 
  North 
  rivers. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  table, 
  compiled 
  by 
  Mr. 
  C. 
  H. 
  Stevenson, 
  shows 
  the 
  

   number 
  and 
  acreage 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  gardens 
  made 
  in 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  Car- 
  

   teret 
  County 
  since 
  1872. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  beds 
  made 
  before 
  this 
  date 
  

   can 
  not 
  be 
  accurately 
  ascertained, 
  since 
  it 
  was 
  not 
  then 
  necessary 
  to 
  

   have 
  the 
  entries 
  authorized 
  by 
  law, 
  and 
  no 
  record 
  of 
  them 
  has 
  been 
  

   kept 
  b}'^ 
  the 
  clerks 
  of 
  the 
  court. 
  

  

  