﻿298 
  KEPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  lectors, 
  but 
  in 
  this 
  case 
  without 
  success. 
  Had 
  the 
  experiments 
  with 
  

   the 
  brush 
  been 
  repeated 
  with 
  slight 
  modifications, 
  however, 
  more 
  

   favorable 
  results 
  might 
  have 
  been 
  obtained, 
  for 
  Wiuslow 
  records 
  cases 
  

   in 
  which 
  03^sters 
  in 
  great 
  numbers 
  attached 
  to 
  and 
  grew 
  upon 
  brush 
  

   thrown 
  into 
  the 
  water, 
  and 
  in 
  parts 
  of 
  Europe 
  this 
  method 
  of 
  collect- 
  

   ing 
  spat 
  is 
  extensivel}" 
  used. 
  

  

  Since 
  the 
  object 
  of 
  the 
  experiments 
  in 
  oyster 
  planting 
  was 
  not 
  to 
  

   produce 
  oysters 
  for 
  commercial 
  purposes, 
  but 
  to 
  demonstrate 
  that 
  

   they 
  may 
  be 
  grown 
  on 
  muddy 
  bottoms 
  and 
  to 
  develop 
  methods 
  by 
  

   which 
  such 
  planting- 
  can 
  be 
  done 
  successfully, 
  no 
  large 
  beds 
  were 
  

   made, 
  but 
  numerous 
  small 
  areas 
  were 
  planted 
  and 
  various 
  methods 
  

   employed. 
  The 
  results 
  obtained 
  from 
  a 
  small 
  planting 
  are 
  just 
  as 
  

   valuable 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  in 
  hand 
  as 
  if 
  they 
  wore 
  obtained 
  from 
  plant- 
  

   ings 
  covering" 
  acres. 
  

  

  Before 
  an 
  area 
  was 
  planted 
  with 
  shells 
  or 
  oysters 
  it 
  was 
  marked 
  off 
  

   with 
  stakes 
  and 
  the 
  bottom 
  examined 
  either 
  with 
  a 
  sounding 
  rod 
  or 
  

   by 
  wading 
  about 
  over 
  it. 
  The 
  sharpy 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  shells 
  and 
  oysters 
  

   were 
  brought 
  to 
  the 
  beds 
  was 
  then 
  anchored 
  over 
  the 
  area 
  to 
  be 
  

   planted, 
  and 
  held 
  in 
  position 
  by 
  poles 
  thrust 
  into 
  the 
  bottom, 
  one 
  on 
  

   either 
  side. 
  The 
  planting 
  was 
  done 
  from 
  the 
  stern 
  either 
  by 
  throwing 
  

   the 
  shells 
  or 
  oysters 
  broadcast 
  from 
  the 
  deck 
  or, 
  when 
  the 
  shells 
  were 
  

   planted 
  in 
  rows, 
  bv 
  standing 
  in 
  the 
  water 
  and 
  receiving 
  the 
  shells 
  in 
  

   buckets, 
  to 
  dump 
  them 
  along 
  a 
  line 
  stretched 
  between 
  stakes. 
  

  

  The 
  shells 
  and 
  oysters 
  on 
  each 
  of 
  the 
  areas 
  were 
  carefully 
  examined 
  

   at 
  intervals 
  of 
  about 
  six 
  months 
  and 
  the 
  results 
  of 
  each 
  examination 
  

   tabulated. 
  In 
  examining 
  for 
  spat 
  and 
  larger 
  oysters, 
  the 
  following 
  

   methods 
  were 
  used: 
  A 
  quantity 
  of 
  shells 
  was 
  tonged 
  from 
  different 
  

   parts 
  of 
  the 
  area, 
  and 
  one 
  bucketful 
  was 
  taken 
  to 
  the 
  laboratory 
  for 
  

   examination. 
  These 
  were 
  chosen 
  at 
  random 
  — 
  that 
  is, 
  without 
  refer- 
  

   ence 
  to 
  whether 
  they 
  contained 
  spat 
  or 
  not, 
  it 
  being 
  desired 
  that 
  they 
  

   represent 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  possible 
  the 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  bed. 
  One 
  hundred 
  

   of 
  these 
  shells 
  were 
  carefulh' 
  gone 
  over 
  in 
  the 
  laboratory, 
  and 
  the 
  

   numbers 
  of 
  living 
  and 
  dead 
  03'sters 
  noted. 
  The 
  living 
  oj^sters 
  were 
  

   divided 
  into 
  five 
  classes: 
  (1) 
  Spat 
  (meaning 
  by 
  this 
  terra 
  a 
  young 
  03'ster 
  

   less 
  than 
  one-half 
  inch 
  in 
  length); 
  (3) 
  o^^sters 
  between 
  one-half 
  and 
  1 
  

   inch 
  in 
  length; 
  (3) 
  oysters 
  between 
  1 
  and 
  2 
  inches 
  long; 
  (4) 
  03'sters 
  

   between 
  2 
  and 
  3 
  inches 
  long, 
  and 
  (5) 
  oysters 
  more 
  than 
  3 
  inches 
  long. 
  

   When 
  it 
  was 
  possible 
  to 
  tell 
  the 
  cause 
  of 
  death, 
  this 
  was 
  noted. 
  The 
  

   number 
  of 
  03'sters 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  inside 
  of 
  the 
  shells 
  was 
  kept 
  sepa- 
  

   rate 
  from 
  the 
  number 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  outer 
  surface. 
  

  

  The 
  method 
  of 
  ascertaining 
  the 
  results 
  of 
  planting 
  seed 
  03'sters 
  was 
  

   to 
  tong 
  100 
  from 
  the 
  bed, 
  noting 
  how 
  many 
  of 
  this 
  number 
  were 
  still 
  

   living, 
  their 
  general 
  condition, 
  and 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  growth 
  that 
  had 
  

   taken 
  place. 
  During 
  the 
  first 
  two 
  seasons 
  it 
  was 
  comparativelv 
  easy 
  

   to 
  distinguish 
  the 
  shells 
  of 
  planted 
  03^sters 
  that 
  had 
  died 
  from 
  the 
  

  

  