﻿OYSTERS 
  AND 
  METHODS 
  OF 
  OYSTER-CULTURE. 
  297 
  

  

  conditions 
  in 
  such 
  a 
  manner 
  as 
  to 
  bring 
  about 
  one 
  or 
  several 
  of 
  the 
  

   following 
  results: 
  

  

  1. 
  An 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  eggs 
  successfully 
  fertilized. 
  

  

  2. 
  An 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  surfaces 
  available 
  for 
  fixation, 
  and 
  consequently 
  

   an 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  spat 
  which 
  become 
  fixed 
  and 
  pass 
  through 
  

   the 
  early 
  stages 
  of 
  spat 
  existence. 
  

  

  3. 
  The 
  utilization 
  and 
  salvage 
  of 
  spat, 
  which 
  would 
  otherwise 
  fall 
  

   victims 
  to 
  the 
  several 
  vicissitudes 
  of 
  their 
  careers 
  — 
  storms, 
  frosts, 
  

   crowding, 
  etc. 
  

  

  4. 
  A 
  decrease 
  in 
  the 
  liability 
  to 
  attacks 
  from 
  enemies. 
  

  

  5. 
  The 
  utilization 
  of 
  otherwise 
  neglected 
  bottoms 
  and 
  food 
  supplies. 
  

   Upon 
  our 
  coasts 
  the 
  objects 
  set 
  forth 
  above, 
  or 
  some 
  of 
  tliem, 
  have 
  

  

  been 
  best 
  realized 
  by 
  the 
  process 
  of 
  "planting." 
  This 
  consists 
  in 
  

   placing 
  firm 
  bodies 
  in 
  the 
  water 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  catching 
  the 
  spat 
  

   or 
  in 
  spreading 
  young 
  oysters 
  upon 
  the 
  bottom 
  in 
  places 
  suitable 
  for 
  

   their 
  growth. 
  Vast 
  as 
  are 
  our 
  oyster-fields, 
  but 
  a 
  small 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  

   bottom 
  available 
  for 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  this 
  mollusk 
  has 
  been 
  utilized 
  by 
  

   nature. 
  This 
  has 
  arisen 
  from 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  in 
  many 
  cases 
  where 
  the 
  

   other 
  conditions 
  are 
  favorable 
  the 
  bottom 
  is 
  of 
  such 
  a 
  character 
  as 
  to 
  

   l)revent 
  the 
  attachment 
  of 
  the 
  young, 
  though 
  perfectly 
  adapted 
  to 
  the 
  

   rapid 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  adults. 
  If 
  then 
  the 
  spat 
  be 
  caught 
  on 
  planted 
  

   cultch, 
  or 
  partially 
  grown 
  oysters 
  be 
  placed 
  upon 
  such 
  bottoms, 
  the 
  

   difficulty 
  is 
  overcome 
  and 
  nature 
  has 
  been 
  assisted 
  to 
  the 
  degree 
  

   necessary 
  and 
  all 
  or 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  conditions 
  mentioned 
  above 
  are 
  more 
  

   or 
  less 
  completely 
  fulfilled; 
  the 
  first 
  by 
  increasing 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  

   adult 
  oysters 
  in 
  any 
  region, 
  and 
  by 
  their 
  closer 
  aggregation 
  ; 
  the 
  second, 
  

   by 
  the 
  process 
  of 
  preparing 
  the 
  ground 
  and 
  sowing 
  the 
  shells; 
  the 
  

   third, 
  by 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  seed 
  from 
  regions 
  less 
  favorable 
  to 
  its 
  maturing; 
  

   the 
  fourth, 
  from 
  the 
  greater 
  care 
  with 
  which 
  a 
  bed 
  under 
  private 
  owner- 
  

   ship 
  will 
  be 
  watched 
  and 
  guarded, 
  and 
  the 
  fifth 
  by 
  the 
  very 
  act 
  of 
  

   j)lantiug 
  upon 
  virgin 
  or 
  de^deted 
  bottom. 
  

  

  Other 
  and 
  more 
  complex 
  plans 
  of 
  oyster- 
  culture 
  are 
  employed 
  in 
  the 
  

   countries 
  of 
  Europe, 
  but 
  have 
  not 
  yet 
  been 
  adopted 
  in 
  the 
  United 
  

   States. 
  There 
  are 
  indications, 
  however, 
  that 
  in 
  certain 
  portions 
  of 
  our 
  

   oyster 
  belt 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  necessary 
  to 
  follow 
  some 
  method 
  of 
  pond 
  culture, 
  

   not 
  so 
  much 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  growing 
  the 
  oysters, 
  but 
  to 
  fatten 
  them 
  

   for 
  market. 
  Should 
  the 
  feasibility 
  of 
  this 
  be 
  demonstrated 
  under 
  the 
  

   conditions 
  i^revailing 
  in 
  the 
  United 
  States, 
  a 
  vast 
  increase 
  could 
  be 
  

   made 
  to 
  our 
  oyster 
  supply, 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  well-known 
  fact 
  that 
  certain 
  large 
  

   areas 
  are 
  capable 
  of 
  raising 
  oysters 
  which 
  they 
  rarely 
  fatten 
  and 
  for 
  

   which, 
  therefore, 
  no 
  market 
  can 
  be 
  found. 
  

  

  By 
  some 
  modification 
  of 
  pond 
  culture 
  it 
  may 
  also 
  be 
  possible 
  to 
  

   raise 
  seed 
  oysters 
  in 
  regions 
  in 
  which 
  few 
  or 
  none 
  are 
  now 
  produced, 
  

   thus 
  adding 
  another 
  considerable 
  item 
  to 
  the 
  wealth 
  giving 
  powers 
  of 
  

   our 
  coasts. 
  

  

  These 
  several 
  subjects 
  are 
  treated 
  under 
  their 
  appropriate 
  headings 
  

   in 
  the 
  following 
  pages. 
  

  

  