﻿302 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  It 
  has 
  sometimes 
  happened 
  that 
  good 
  results 
  have 
  followed 
  the 
  

   sowing 
  of 
  spat-covered 
  shells 
  purchased 
  from 
  the 
  canneries, 
  but 
  this 
  

   method 
  is 
  precarious 
  unless 
  the 
  shells 
  are 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  process 
  of 
  spat- 
  

   collecting 
  to 
  be 
  explained 
  hereafter. 
  

  

  The 
  locality 
  whence 
  the 
  seed 
  is 
  derived 
  is 
  also 
  important. 
  Oysters 
  

   taken 
  from 
  a 
  warm 
  region, 
  where 
  food 
  is 
  plenty 
  and 
  growth 
  rapid, 
  to 
  a 
  

   colder 
  region, 
  where 
  food 
  is 
  more 
  scanty, 
  are, 
  it 
  is 
  stated, 
  not 
  always 
  

   successfully 
  acclimated 
  unless 
  the 
  transfer 
  is 
  made 
  when 
  the 
  oyster 
  is 
  

   very 
  young. 
  Some 
  planters 
  say 
  that 
  when 
  southern 
  oysters 
  just 
  about 
  

   to 
  spawn 
  are 
  taken 
  to 
  Long 
  Island 
  Sound, 
  the 
  generative 
  products 
  are 
  

   not 
  discharged 
  and 
  many 
  of 
  them 
  die 
  in 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  season. 
  The 
  

   seed 
  obtained 
  from 
  southern 
  '' 
  plants,'' 
  however, 
  is 
  as 
  hardy 
  as 
  that 
  

   obtained 
  from 
  the 
  "natives," 
  from 
  which 
  it 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  distinguished 
  in 
  

   either 
  appearance 
  or 
  growth. 
  The 
  planting 
  of 
  southern 
  seed 
  oysters 
  

   was 
  formerly 
  an 
  important 
  industry 
  in 
  Long 
  Island 
  Sound, 
  but 
  it 
  has 
  

   been 
  almost 
  entirely 
  supplanted 
  by 
  shell 
  culture. 
  Each 
  spring 
  a 
  com- 
  

   paratively 
  small 
  number 
  of 
  Chesapeake 
  oysters 
  are 
  set 
  down, 
  as 
  they 
  

   have 
  been 
  found 
  to 
  fatten 
  earlier 
  in 
  the 
  fall 
  than 
  the 
  native 
  stock. 
  

   There 
  is 
  no 
  complaint 
  of 
  excessive 
  mortality 
  among 
  the 
  "Virginia 
  

   plants," 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  claimed 
  that 
  they 
  spawn 
  freely 
  in 
  summer 
  even 
  if 
  

   bedded 
  in 
  the 
  preceding 
  spring. 
  

  

  SOWING 
  THE 
  SEED. 
  

  

  The 
  seed 
  oysters 
  are 
  usually 
  scattered 
  over 
  the 
  beds 
  from 
  boats 
  or 
  

   scows. 
  Care 
  should 
  be 
  exercised 
  to 
  get 
  them 
  as 
  equally 
  distributed 
  as 
  

   possible, 
  as 
  experience 
  has 
  shown 
  this 
  to 
  be 
  advantageous 
  to 
  their 
  

   growth. 
  When 
  thrown 
  into 
  heaps 
  many 
  are 
  prevented 
  from 
  getting 
  a 
  

   proper 
  supply 
  of 
  food, 
  and 
  the 
  crowding 
  may 
  also 
  cause 
  irregularities 
  

   in 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  the 
  shells, 
  thus 
  reducing 
  their 
  market 
  value. 
  

  

  In 
  order 
  to 
  secure 
  a 
  proper 
  distribution 
  over 
  a 
  bed, 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  roughly 
  

   marked 
  out 
  into 
  areas, 
  say 
  50 
  feet 
  square, 
  in 
  each 
  of 
  which 
  an 
  equal 
  

   amount 
  of 
  seed 
  should 
  be 
  planted, 
  by 
  scattering 
  it 
  broadcast 
  with 
  

   shovels 
  or 
  scoops 
  from 
  the 
  boat 
  or 
  scow. 
  In 
  subdividing 
  the 
  bed 
  a 
  few 
  

   rough 
  stakes 
  or 
  buoys 
  may 
  be 
  used 
  as 
  temporary 
  guides. 
  

  

  Another 
  method 
  is 
  to 
  anchor 
  the 
  boat 
  upon 
  the 
  bed, 
  distribute 
  the 
  

   required 
  amount 
  of 
  seed 
  over 
  the 
  area 
  which 
  can 
  be 
  reached 
  by 
  throw- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  oysters 
  from 
  a 
  shovel, 
  and 
  then 
  move 
  on 
  to 
  the 
  next 
  station, 
  

   where 
  the 
  boat 
  is 
  again 
  anchored 
  and 
  the 
  operation 
  repeated. 
  When 
  

   the 
  scow 
  is 
  emptied 
  a 
  buoy 
  or 
  stake 
  maybe 
  used 
  to 
  mark 
  the 
  position 
  of 
  

   the 
  last 
  deposit, 
  and 
  operations 
  can 
  be 
  resumed 
  from 
  that 
  point 
  with 
  

   the 
  next 
  boat 
  load. 
  By 
  such 
  means 
  the 
  seed 
  is 
  rapidly 
  and 
  evenly 
  

   spread 
  over 
  the 
  bottom. 
  

  

  In 
  i)lanting 
  on 
  extensive 
  beds 
  where 
  steam 
  power 
  is 
  used 
  the 
  seed 
  is 
  

   distributed 
  from 
  scows, 
  which 
  are 
  slowly 
  towed 
  back 
  and 
  forth, 
  while 
  a 
  

   gang 
  of 
  8 
  or 
  10 
  men 
  shovel 
  the 
  oysters 
  overboard 
  as 
  rapidly 
  as 
  jiossible. 
  

   That 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  rapid 
  and 
  economical 
  method, 
  and 
  is 
  the 
  one 
  usually 
  

   employed 
  on 
  the 
  deep-water 
  grounds 
  of 
  Long 
  Island 
  Sound. 
  

  

  