﻿OYSTER 
  INDUSTRY 
  OF 
  NORTH 
  CAROLINA. 
  327 
  

  

  and 
  olustered. 
  The 
  shape 
  depends 
  largely 
  upon 
  the 
  degree 
  of 
  crowd- 
  

   ing 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  oyster 
  has 
  been 
  subject. 
  When 
  numerous 
  spat 
  

   become 
  attached 
  to 
  a 
  single 
  piece 
  of 
  cultch, 
  such 
  as 
  an 
  oyster 
  shell, 
  

   there 
  is 
  often 
  insufficient 
  room 
  for 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  all. 
  Man}^ 
  

   will 
  be 
  crowded 
  out 
  and 
  suffocated, 
  while 
  the 
  survivors 
  will 
  be 
  dis- 
  

   torted 
  through 
  the 
  necessity 
  of 
  conforming 
  to 
  the 
  irregular 
  spaces 
  

   between 
  the 
  valves 
  of 
  their 
  fellows. 
  Sometimes 
  the 
  pressure 
  exerted 
  

   between 
  the 
  rapidly 
  growing 
  shells 
  is 
  sufficient 
  to 
  break 
  up 
  the 
  more 
  

   fragile 
  forms 
  of 
  cultch, 
  and 
  the 
  separated 
  oysters 
  then 
  usually 
  improve 
  

   somewhat 
  in 
  shape. 
  

  

  The 
  crowding 
  of 
  oysters 
  reaches 
  its 
  climax 
  upon 
  the 
  "raccoon-' 
  

   oyster 
  beds. 
  Kaccoon 
  oysters 
  are 
  usually 
  found 
  in 
  localities 
  where 
  

   the 
  bottom 
  is 
  soft 
  and 
  the 
  only 
  firm 
  place 
  which 
  offers 
  itself 
  for 
  the 
  

   attachment 
  of 
  the 
  spat 
  is 
  upon 
  the 
  shells 
  of 
  its 
  ancestors. 
  Tempera- 
  

   ture 
  and 
  other 
  conditions 
  are 
  favorable, 
  growth 
  is 
  rapid, 
  the 
  young 
  

   03'sters 
  are 
  crowded 
  into 
  the 
  most 
  irregular 
  shapes, 
  the 
  shells 
  are 
  

   long, 
  thin, 
  and 
  sharp 
  edged, 
  and 
  eventually 
  the 
  mass 
  of 
  young 
  is 
  so 
  

   dense 
  that 
  it 
  crowds 
  out 
  and 
  smothers 
  the 
  preceding 
  generations 
  

   which 
  produced 
  it 
  and 
  offered 
  means 
  for 
  its 
  attachment. 
  03^sters 
  

   crowded 
  in 
  this 
  excessive 
  . 
  manner 
  are 
  poor 
  flavored 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  ill 
  

   shaped, 
  but 
  both 
  defects 
  are 
  corrected 
  if 
  they 
  be 
  broken 
  apart, 
  as 
  ma}' 
  

   be 
  readil}^ 
  done, 
  and 
  planted 
  elsewhere. 
  

  

  