﻿OYSTERS 
  AND 
  METHODS 
  OF 
  OYSTER-CULTURE. 
  275 
  

  

  The 
  rate 
  of 
  growth 
  (plates 
  x, 
  xi, 
  xii, 
  xiii) 
  varies 
  with 
  locality 
  and 
  

   conditions. 
  It 
  is 
  more 
  rapid 
  when 
  food 
  is 
  abundant 
  and 
  at 
  seasons 
  

   when 
  the 
  oyster 
  is 
  feeding 
  most 
  vigorously, 
  these 
  conditions 
  being 
  filled 
  

   most 
  thoroughly 
  in 
  summer 
  and 
  fall, 
  when 
  the 
  warm 
  water 
  increases 
  

   the 
  vital 
  activities 
  of 
  both 
  oyster 
  and 
  food. 
  

  

  In 
  South 
  Carolina 
  oysters 
  not 
  more 
  than 
  six 
  or 
  seven 
  months 
  old 
  were 
  

   found 
  to 
  have 
  reached 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  2^ 
  inches, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  warm 
  sounds 
  

   of 
  North 
  Carolma 
  they 
  reach 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  1^ 
  inches 
  in 
  from 
  two 
  to 
  three 
  

   months. 
  In 
  the 
  coves 
  and 
  creeks 
  of 
  Chesajteake 
  Bay 
  they 
  attain 
  about 
  

   the 
  same 
  size 
  by 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  season's 
  active 
  growth, 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  

   time 
  they 
  are 
  two 
  years 
  old 
  they 
  measure 
  from 
  2^ 
  to 
  3| 
  inches 
  long 
  and 
  

   from 
  2 
  to 
  3 
  inches 
  wide. 
  On 
  the 
  south 
  side 
  of 
  Long 
  Island 
  the 
  growth 
  

   of 
  the 
  planted 
  oysters 
  is 
  much 
  more 
  rapid 
  than 
  in 
  Connecticut, 
  it 
  being 
  

   stated 
  that 
  "two-year 
  plants" 
  set 
  out 
  in 
  spring 
  are 
  ready 
  for 
  use 
  in 
  the 
  

   following 
  fall, 
  while 
  upon 
  the 
  Connecticut 
  shore 
  it 
  would 
  require 
  two 
  or 
  

   three 
  years 
  to 
  make 
  the 
  same 
  growth. 
  On 
  the 
  south 
  side 
  of 
  Long 
  Island 
  

   oysters 
  If 
  inches 
  long 
  in 
  May 
  have 
  increased 
  to 
  3 
  inches 
  by 
  November 
  

   of 
  the 
  same 
  year. 
  

  

  The 
  amount 
  of 
  lime 
  iu 
  the 
  water 
  is 
  a 
  factor 
  in 
  determining 
  the 
  

   character 
  of 
  the 
  sbell, 
  and 
  oysters 
  growing 
  in 
  waters 
  deficient 
  in 
  that 
  

   respect 
  have 
  thinner 
  shells 
  than 
  those 
  which 
  are 
  well 
  supplied, 
  and 
  are 
  

   therefore 
  more 
  susceptible 
  to 
  the 
  attacks 
  of 
  the 
  drill. 
  

  

  The 
  shape 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  to 
  a 
  certain 
  extent 
  determines 
  its 
  value 
  in 
  

   the 
  market. 
  Single 
  oysters 
  of 
  regular 
  shape 
  with 
  deep 
  shells 
  and 
  

   plump 
  bodies 
  will 
  bring 
  a 
  better 
  price 
  than 
  those 
  which 
  are 
  irregular 
  

   and 
  clustered. 
  The 
  shape 
  depends 
  largely 
  upon 
  the 
  degree 
  of 
  crowding 
  

   to 
  which 
  the 
  oj^ster 
  has 
  been 
  subject. 
  When 
  numerous 
  spat 
  become 
  

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

   often 
  insufiicient 
  room 
  for 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  all. 
  Many 
  will 
  be 
  crowded 
  

   out 
  and 
  suffocated, 
  while 
  the 
  survivors 
  will 
  be 
  distorted 
  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. 
  Raccoon 
  oysters 
  are 
  usually 
  found 
  in 
  localities 
  where 
  the 
  

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

   ment 
  of 
  the 
  spat 
  is 
  upon 
  the 
  shells 
  of 
  its 
  ancestors. 
  Temperature 
  and 
  

   other 
  conditions 
  are 
  favorable, 
  growth 
  is 
  rapid, 
  the 
  young 
  oysters 
  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. 
  Oysters 
  crowded 
  in 
  this 
  excessive 
  

   manner 
  are 
  poor-flavored 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  ill-shaped, 
  but 
  both 
  defects 
  are 
  

   corrected 
  if 
  they 
  be 
  broken 
  apart, 
  as 
  may 
  be 
  readily 
  done, 
  and 
  planted 
  

   elsewhere. 
  

  

  