﻿298 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AKD 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  PLANTING 
  WITH 
  SEED. 
  

   PRELIMINARY 
  CONSIDERATIONS. 
  

  

  Preliminary 
  to 
  planting, 
  the 
  first 
  essential 
  is 
  to 
  determine 
  whether 
  

   private 
  rij^iits 
  in 
  oyster 
  bottoms 
  are 
  recognized 
  by 
  law 
  or 
  countenanced 
  

   by 
  public 
  opinion. 
  Unless 
  the 
  planter 
  is 
  assured 
  of 
  exclusive 
  owner- 
  

   ship 
  in 
  the 
  product 
  of 
  his 
  labor 
  and 
  enterprise 
  he 
  will 
  find 
  more 
  profit 
  

   and 
  peace 
  of 
  mmd 
  in 
  devoting 
  his 
  energies 
  to 
  some 
  other 
  calling. 
  

   Unless 
  the 
  law, 
  backed 
  by 
  the 
  public 
  sense 
  of 
  justice, 
  makes 
  the 
  theft 
  

   of 
  oysters 
  from 
  planted 
  grounds 
  punishable 
  like 
  theft 
  of 
  any 
  other 
  

   kind, 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  impossible 
  to 
  expect 
  success 
  in 
  oyster-planting. 
  Very 
  

   remarkable 
  views 
  obtain 
  in 
  some 
  places 
  concerning 
  the 
  right 
  to 
  property 
  

   beneath 
  the 
  sea, 
  and 
  in 
  such 
  places 
  the 
  planter 
  will 
  find 
  it 
  impossible 
  

   to 
  protect 
  his 
  interests. 
  

  

  Having 
  determined 
  that 
  his 
  rights 
  in 
  his 
  riparian 
  property 
  may 
  be 
  

   successfully 
  maintained, 
  the 
  next 
  step 
  is 
  to 
  select 
  beds 
  that 
  present 
  the 
  

   proper 
  conditions 
  of 
  temperature, 
  density, 
  bottom, 
  food, 
  etc. 
  

  

  Temperature. 
  — 
  If 
  it 
  is 
  desired 
  to 
  establish 
  a 
  self-perpetuating 
  bed 
  

   the 
  temperature 
  should 
  rise 
  for 
  a 
  considerable 
  time 
  during 
  the 
  spawn- 
  

   ing 
  period 
  to 
  between 
  08 
  and 
  80 
  degrees. 
  If 
  it 
  be 
  desired 
  to 
  merely 
  

   increase 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  seed 
  oysters 
  obtained 
  elsewhere, 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  necessary 
  

   that 
  the 
  temperature 
  should 
  ever 
  rise 
  so 
  high, 
  although, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  

   warm 
  waters 
  induce 
  more 
  rapid 
  growth. 
  The 
  range 
  of 
  temperature 
  to 
  

   which 
  adult 
  oysters 
  are 
  subject 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  on 
  page 
  280. 
  

  

  Density. 
  — 
  The 
  density 
  should 
  be 
  above 
  1.007 
  at 
  least, 
  and 
  the 
  beds 
  

   should 
  be 
  so 
  located 
  as 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  subject 
  to 
  the 
  influence 
  of 
  freshets 
  

   which 
  would 
  reduce 
  the 
  density 
  below 
  that 
  degree 
  for 
  any 
  length 
  of 
  time. 
  

   A 
  density 
  over 
  1.023 
  is 
  not 
  advisable, 
  although 
  oysters 
  grow 
  in 
  places 
  

   in 
  a 
  somewhat 
  greater 
  salinity. 
  (See 
  p. 
  281.) 
  

  

  Bottom. 
  — 
  The 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  bottom 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  consid- 
  

   eration, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  x^robable 
  that, 
  upon 
  our 
  coasts, 
  the 
  other 
  conditions 
  

   will 
  be 
  fairly 
  met 
  in 
  any 
  locality 
  where 
  suitable 
  bottom 
  is 
  available. 
  

   The 
  selection 
  should 
  be 
  made 
  with 
  care, 
  and 
  the 
  methods 
  employed 
  

   should 
  be 
  adai^ted 
  to 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  ground. 
  Otherwise 
  the 
  

   planter 
  may 
  be 
  put 
  to 
  labor 
  and 
  expense 
  without 
  return. 
  

  

  Hard, 
  rocky 
  bottom 
  is 
  in 
  general 
  unsuited 
  for 
  the 
  cultivation 
  of 
  the 
  

   oyster. 
  Such 
  ground, 
  while 
  affording 
  facilities 
  for 
  the 
  fixation 
  of 
  spat, 
  

   does 
  not 
  supply 
  sufficient 
  food 
  to 
  cause 
  a 
  rapid 
  growth, 
  such 
  as 
  is 
  desired 
  

   by 
  the 
  planter, 
  unless 
  there 
  is 
  abundant 
  muddy 
  bottom 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity. 
  

   Heavy 
  clay 
  is 
  open 
  to 
  the 
  same 
  objection. 
  Loose 
  sand 
  is 
  liable 
  to 
  drift 
  

   and 
  bury 
  the 
  oysters, 
  and 
  deep, 
  soft 
  mud 
  is 
  absolutely 
  fatal, 
  as 
  it 
  allows 
  

   even 
  adult 
  oysters 
  to 
  sink 
  to 
  such 
  a 
  depth 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  smothered. 
  

  

  The 
  best 
  bottom 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  firm 
  substratum, 
  above 
  which 
  is 
  a 
  layer 
  

   of 
  soft 
  flocculeut 
  mud. 
  In 
  Long 
  Island 
  Sound, 
  firm, 
  sandy 
  bottom 
  is 
  

   often 
  used 
  with 
  great 
  success. 
  The 
  oysters 
  do 
  not 
  grow 
  so 
  rapidly 
  

   there, 
  however, 
  as 
  they 
  do 
  upon 
  the 
  soft 
  mud 
  of 
  Jamaica 
  Bay 
  and 
  other 
  

   places 
  on 
  the 
  south 
  shore 
  of 
  Long 
  Island. 
  

  

  