﻿OYSTERS 
  AND 
  METHODS 
  OF 
  OYSTER-CULTURE. 
  269 
  

  

  tojyether 
  with 
  the 
  various 
  waste 
  products 
  resulting 
  from 
  digestion 
  and 
  

   respiration. 
  

  

  The 
  season 
  at 
  which 
  oysters 
  spawn 
  diifers 
  with 
  the 
  latitude 
  of 
  the 
  

   bed 
  and 
  with 
  local 
  conditions. 
  As 
  a 
  general 
  rule, 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  said 
  that 
  

   they 
  ripen 
  earlier 
  in 
  the 
  south 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  north, 
  and 
  that 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  

   region 
  the 
  genital 
  products 
  mature 
  earlier 
  in 
  shallow 
  than 
  in 
  deep 
  water. 
  

   These 
  facts 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  dependent 
  primarily 
  upon 
  the 
  temperature, 
  

   other 
  things 
  being 
  equal, 
  southern 
  waters 
  warming 
  before 
  the 
  northern, 
  

   and 
  the 
  shallows 
  before 
  tlie 
  depths. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  stated 
  that 
  the 
  raccoon 
  oyster 
  of 
  South 
  Carolina 
  spawns 
  from 
  

   the 
  middle 
  of 
  March 
  to 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  August. 
  Kipe 
  individuals 
  are 
  

   found 
  ill 
  shallow 
  water 
  creeks 
  daring 
  January 
  and 
  February, 
  and 
  it 
  

   is 
  probable 
  that 
  intermittent 
  spawning 
  may 
  take 
  place 
  at 
  any 
  time 
  

   during 
  the 
  year 
  when 
  favorable 
  conditions 
  prevail. 
  In 
  Chesapeake 
  Bay 
  

   oysters 
  are 
  found 
  spawning 
  from 
  April 
  to 
  October, 
  but 
  apparently 
  a 
  

   few 
  scattered 
  individuals 
  spawn 
  at 
  other 
  times, 
  though 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  spawn 
  

   appears 
  to 
  be 
  cast 
  during 
  the 
  latter 
  part 
  of 
  July 
  or 
  early 
  in 
  August. 
  

   In 
  Long 
  Island 
  Sound 
  spawning 
  takes 
  place, 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  locality, 
  

   during 
  May, 
  June, 
  July, 
  and 
  August. 
  Sometimes 
  many 
  oysters 
  are 
  

   found 
  with 
  well-developed 
  ova 
  during 
  April, 
  but 
  this 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  

   unusual, 
  and 
  Dr. 
  Dean 
  remarks 
  that 
  when 
  it 
  occurs 
  "it 
  will 
  almost 
  

   invariably 
  be 
  found 
  that 
  the 
  spring 
  has 
  been 
  warm 
  and 
  dry." 
  

  

  Not 
  only 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  spawning, 
  but 
  the 
  quantity 
  of 
  spawn, 
  appears 
  

   to 
  be 
  aifected 
  by 
  the 
  weather 
  conditions. 
  Sudden 
  changes 
  produce 
  

   very 
  marked 
  results, 
  and 
  a 
  transfer 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  from 
  one 
  place 
  to 
  

   another 
  during 
  the 
  spawning 
  season 
  is 
  almost 
  certain 
  to 
  interfere 
  with 
  

   reproduction 
  or 
  even 
  absolutely 
  arrest 
  it. 
  

  

  The 
  age 
  at 
  which 
  the 
  oyster 
  becomes 
  capable 
  of 
  reproducing 
  its 
  kind 
  

   varies 
  with 
  the 
  locality, 
  but 
  it 
  appears 
  that 
  in 
  regions 
  of 
  rapid 
  growth 
  

   the 
  generative 
  organs 
  ripen 
  during 
  the 
  first 
  year. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  eggs 
  

   discharged 
  by 
  the 
  female 
  is 
  naturally 
  dependent 
  upon 
  its 
  size. 
  Accord- 
  

   ing 
  to 
  Dr. 
  Brooks, 
  the 
  Maryland 
  oyster 
  of 
  average 
  size 
  produces 
  

   10,000,000 
  eggs 
  each 
  year, 
  while 
  a 
  very 
  large 
  individual 
  may 
  produce 
  

   60,000,000. 
  The 
  spermatozoa, 
  being 
  extremely 
  minute, 
  are 
  present 
  in 
  

   the 
  milt 
  in 
  inconceivable 
  numbers. 
  

  

  Notwithstanding 
  the 
  great 
  fecundity 
  of 
  the 
  individual 
  oyster 
  the 
  

   reproductive 
  j)ower 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  is 
  not 
  so 
  vast 
  as 
  is 
  generally 
  supposed. 
  

   If 
  the 
  oysters 
  are 
  scattered, 
  or 
  the 
  number 
  spawning 
  at 
  a 
  given 
  time 
  is 
  

   small, 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  genital 
  matter 
  will 
  be 
  wasted, 
  as 
  the 
  contact 
  of 
  the 
  

   male 
  and 
  female 
  cells 
  is 
  entirely 
  dependent 
  upon 
  chance, 
  and 
  the 
  fewer 
  

   such 
  cells 
  there 
  are 
  in 
  a 
  given 
  body 
  of 
  water 
  the 
  smaller 
  the 
  probability 
  

   of 
  their 
  meeting 
  and 
  fusing 
  in 
  the 
  manner 
  constituting 
  the 
  act 
  of 
  fer- 
  

   tilization. 
  Neither 
  the 
  eggs 
  nor 
  the 
  spermatozoa 
  live 
  long 
  after 
  they 
  

   are 
  discharged 
  from 
  the 
  parent, 
  and 
  if 
  fertilization 
  is 
  to 
  take 
  place 
  at 
  

   all 
  the 
  two 
  elements 
  must 
  be 
  brought 
  into 
  contact 
  promptly 
  ; 
  and 
  it 
  will 
  

   be 
  seen, 
  therefore, 
  that 
  nature 
  must 
  supply 
  a 
  vast 
  number 
  of 
  germ 
  cells 
  

   to 
  insure 
  the 
  survival 
  of 
  but 
  a 
  few. 
  

  

  