﻿OYSTER 
  INDUSTRY 
  OF 
  NORTH 
  CAROLINA. 
  331 
  

  

  the 
  proximity 
  of 
  the 
  03^sters 
  to 
  one 
  another 
  causes 
  the 
  thin 
  growing- 
  

   margins 
  of 
  their 
  shells 
  to 
  fuse 
  and 
  become 
  folded 
  upward. 
  As 
  they 
  

   grow 
  without 
  any 
  corresponding 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  surface 
  on 
  which 
  they 
  

   have 
  settled, 
  those 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  shells 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  made, 
  after 
  

   all 
  the 
  available 
  surface 
  has 
  been 
  used, 
  become 
  more 
  and 
  more 
  raised, 
  

   until 
  finally 
  the 
  oysters 
  are 
  placed 
  at 
  a 
  sharp 
  angle 
  to 
  their 
  original 
  

   position. 
  If 
  growth 
  continues 
  they 
  will 
  finally 
  be 
  perpendicular 
  to 
  

   the 
  surface 
  of 
  attachment. 
  

  

  Very 
  frequently 
  new 
  spat 
  settles 
  on 
  the 
  shells 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  ele- 
  

   vated, 
  and 
  if 
  this 
  new 
  layer 
  is 
  sufficiently 
  dense 
  the 
  shells 
  again 
  become 
  

   crowded, 
  mrsshaped, 
  and 
  elevated. 
  If 
  there 
  were 
  no 
  irregularities 
  in 
  

   the 
  shells 
  to 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  attached 
  they 
  would 
  ultimatel}' 
  stand 
  at 
  

   right 
  angles 
  to 
  them. 
  The 
  first 
  layer, 
  however, 
  presents 
  so 
  many 
  

   openings 
  and 
  corners 
  into 
  which 
  shells 
  of 
  the 
  second 
  layer 
  may 
  squeeze 
  

   that 
  these, 
  instead 
  of 
  growing 
  out 
  at 
  a 
  sharp 
  angle, 
  usua:ll3' 
  are 
  densely 
  

   packed 
  into 
  the 
  available 
  crevices. 
  In 
  this 
  wa}'^ 
  clusters 
  are 
  formed 
  in 
  

   which 
  one 
  may 
  often 
  count 
  from 
  five 
  to 
  seven 
  generations. 
  The 
  

   oysters 
  in 
  these 
  collections 
  are 
  nearly 
  all 
  misshaped 
  or 
  unduly 
  elon- 
  

   gated, 
  and 
  all 
  such 
  are 
  oppressed 
  on 
  one 
  or 
  more 
  sides 
  by 
  neighbors. 
  

   Often 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  growth 
  is 
  suddenly 
  changed 
  by 
  a 
  sharp 
  angle 
  

   and 
  the 
  edges 
  of 
  the 
  shells 
  follow 
  even 
  the 
  minute 
  indentations 
  and 
  

   irregularities 
  of 
  their 
  neighbors. 
  It 
  seems 
  clear 
  from 
  such 
  clusters 
  

   that 
  the 
  elongated 
  and 
  irregular 
  shapes 
  of 
  the 
  03'sters 
  are 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  

   fact 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  not 
  room 
  enough 
  for 
  them 
  to 
  expand 
  and 
  grow 
  to 
  the 
  

   width 
  which 
  they 
  might 
  have 
  attained 
  had 
  they 
  been 
  isolated 
  or 
  com- 
  

   paratively 
  free. 
  

  

  One 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  facts 
  to 
  be 
  noticed 
  during 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  localities 
  where 
  

   elongated 
  oysters 
  grow 
  is 
  that 
  normal 
  adults 
  occur 
  frequently 
  in 
  the 
  

   little 
  ba3^s 
  and 
  indentations 
  of 
  marshes, 
  but 
  are 
  rare 
  on 
  the 
  points, 
  

   which 
  are 
  tipped 
  with 
  regions 
  composed 
  almost 
  entirely 
  of 
  the 
  elon- 
  

   gated 
  forms 
  growing 
  actively 
  under 
  an 
  environment 
  similar 
  to 
  that 
  

   of 
  the 
  reef 
  oysters. 
  The 
  03'sters 
  that 
  grow 
  in 
  the 
  marsh 
  bays 
  and 
  

   inlets 
  are 
  surrounded 
  by 
  great 
  quantities 
  of 
  mud, 
  which 
  is 
  in 
  part 
  

   produced 
  by 
  decaying 
  vegetable 
  and 
  other 
  organic 
  matter 
  derived 
  

   from 
  the 
  marsh 
  itself, 
  but 
  probably 
  is 
  collected 
  chiefly 
  by 
  the 
  mass 
  of 
  

   green 
  vegetation 
  which 
  acts 
  as 
  a 
  sieve 
  through 
  which 
  the 
  water 
  passes 
  

   at 
  high 
  tide, 
  parting 
  with 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  matter 
  that 
  it 
  holds 
  in 
  suspension. 
  

   The 
  mud 
  thus 
  collected 
  accumulates, 
  especially 
  in 
  the 
  little 
  bays 
  and 
  

   inlets, 
  and 
  after 
  a 
  heav}' 
  rain 
  may 
  rise 
  several 
  inches 
  and 
  smother 
  a 
  

   good 
  man}' 
  oysters 
  which 
  were 
  on 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  old 
  shore 
  line. 
  

   Sometimes 
  the 
  accumulation 
  is 
  very 
  sudden 
  and 
  great. 
  In 
  making 
  these 
  

   observations 
  on 
  one 
  occasion 
  it 
  was 
  necessary 
  to 
  revisit, 
  after 
  some 
  days, 
  

   a 
  certain 
  little 
  bay, 
  and 
  there 
  I 
  found 
  a 
  perfectly 
  smooth 
  and 
  even 
  

   muddy 
  shore 
  line, 
  knee 
  deep 
  under 
  which 
  were 
  the 
  oysters 
  I 
  had 
  come 
  

   to 
  examine. 
  

  

  