﻿OySTEK 
  INDUSTRY 
  OF 
  NORTH 
  CAROLINA. 
  

  

  273- 
  

  

  the 
  water 
  is 
  the 
  factor 
  that 
  makes 
  it 
  possible 
  for 
  many 
  of 
  these 
  ani- 
  

   mals 
  to 
  live 
  on 
  the 
  planted 
  beds, 
  and 
  a 
  reduction 
  of 
  the 
  density 
  but 
  a., 
  

   few 
  points 
  would 
  effectually 
  exclude 
  nearly 
  all 
  of 
  those 
  mentioned.. 
  

   Very 
  few 
  of 
  the 
  coinhabitants 
  are 
  directly 
  injurious 
  to 
  the 
  o^^sters^ 
  

   but 
  they 
  produce 
  a 
  foulness 
  which 
  catches 
  sediment 
  and 
  prevents 
  the 
  

   attachment 
  of 
  spat. 
  Drills 
  destroy 
  a 
  few 
  young 
  03 
  sters, 
  and 
  the 
  bor- 
  

   ing 
  sponge 
  makes 
  the 
  shells 
  brittle. 
  

  

  The 
  oyster 
  garden 
  of 
  Mr. 
  J. 
  W. 
  Ireland, 
  planted 
  in 
  1891, 
  ma}^ 
  be 
  

   taken 
  as 
  representative 
  of 
  the 
  planted 
  beds 
  in 
  North 
  River. 
  It 
  lies- 
  

   just 
  off 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  Roberts 
  Bay 
  in 
  the 
  region 
  containing 
  the 
  great- 
  

   est 
  number 
  of 
  plantings, 
  and 
  has 
  been 
  as 
  successful 
  as 
  an}^ 
  in 
  the. 
  

   river. 
  Here, 
  as 
  in 
  Newport 
  River, 
  all 
  the 
  planted 
  beds 
  are 
  below 
  the^ 
  

   area 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  productive 
  natural 
  beds 
  are 
  found. 
  The 
  bottom, 
  a 
  

   black, 
  sticky 
  mud, 
  is 
  very 
  light 
  and 
  soft, 
  and 
  is 
  composed 
  of 
  fine 
  

   organic 
  debris 
  mixed 
  with 
  grains 
  of 
  sand 
  and 
  swarming 
  with 
  living 
  

   diatoms. 
  Below 
  it 
  gradually 
  grows 
  firmer 
  and 
  harder, 
  the 
  propor- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  sand 
  becoming 
  larger, 
  but 
  in 
  nearly 
  every 
  place 
  not 
  covered 
  

   with 
  shells 
  or 
  03"sters, 
  an 
  oar 
  can 
  be 
  thrust 
  into 
  it 
  to 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  from 
  

   9 
  inches 
  to 
  2 
  feet. 
  The 
  water 
  over 
  the 
  bed 
  is 
  about 
  Si 
  to 
  4 
  feet 
  deep^ 
  

   at 
  low 
  tide. 
  The 
  currents 
  over 
  this, 
  as 
  over 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  planted 
  areas, 
  

   seldom 
  develop 
  a 
  velocity 
  of 
  more 
  than 
  one-third 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  per 
  hour. 
  

   The 
  specific 
  gravity 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  is 
  quite 
  high, 
  making 
  possible 
  ani 
  

   even 
  denser 
  growth 
  of 
  marine 
  animals 
  on 
  the 
  planted 
  shells 
  and 
  

   oysters 
  than 
  was 
  noted 
  on 
  the 
  Newport 
  planted 
  oysters. 
  The 
  average^ 
  

   density 
  at 
  stations 
  2, 
  3, 
  and 
  7 
  during 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  the 
  survey 
  

   (November 
  23, 
  1899, 
  to 
  January 
  6, 
  1900) 
  is 
  given 
  in 
  the 
  table 
  which, 
  

   follows 
  : 
  

  

  Average 
  densities 
  over 
  oyster 
  garden 
  in 
  North 
  River 
  planted 
  by 
  J. 
  W. 
  Ireland. 
  

  

  For 
  the 
  summer 
  months 
  of 
  1900, 
  1901, 
  and 
  1902 
  the 
  density 
  shown 
  

   in 
  the 
  food 
  tables 
  on 
  page 
  289 
  for 
  the 
  experimental 
  bed 
  may 
  be 
  taken>. 
  

   as 
  representing 
  Mr. 
  Ireland's 
  bed, 
  for 
  the 
  northeast 
  corner 
  stake 
  of 
  

   the 
  former 
  marks 
  the 
  southwest 
  corner 
  of 
  this 
  oyster 
  garden. 
  

  

  The 
  method 
  of 
  planting 
  used 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Ireland 
  was 
  the 
  same 
  as 
  that 
  

   employed 
  b}^ 
  all 
  the 
  North 
  and 
  Newport 
  River 
  planters. 
  Unculled- 
  

   stock 
  was 
  brought 
  down 
  from 
  the 
  natural 
  oyster 
  beds 
  at 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  

   the 
  river, 
  just 
  as 
  it 
  was 
  tonged, 
  and 
  spread 
  broadcast 
  over 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  

   the 
  bottom, 
  stakes 
  being 
  set 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  same 
  ground 
  should 
  not 
  be, 
  

  

  F. 
  C. 
  1903 
  18 
  

  

  