﻿OYSTERS 
  AND 
  METHODS 
  OF 
  OYSTER-CULTURE. 
  303 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  not 
  well 
  to 
  deposit 
  the 
  oysters 
  very 
  tllickl3^ 
  About 
  300 
  to 
  600 
  

   bushels 
  per 
  acre 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  usual 
  amount 
  in 
  most 
  places. 
  The 
  

   gnnind 
  will, 
  of 
  course, 
  support 
  a 
  larger 
  number 
  of 
  yearling 
  seed, 
  but 
  as 
  

   they 
  grow 
  larger 
  there 
  will 
  be 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  crowding 
  and 
  the 
  demand 
  

   for 
  food 
  will 
  be 
  greater. 
  

  

  In 
  certain 
  places 
  where 
  oyster-planting 
  has 
  greatly 
  increased 
  within 
  

   recent 
  years 
  it 
  is 
  found 
  that 
  the 
  oyster 
  neither 
  grows 
  as 
  rapidly 
  nor 
  fat- 
  

   tens 
  as 
  readily 
  as 
  formerly, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  supposed 
  by 
  many 
  that 
  the 
  quantity 
  

   of 
  oysters 
  has 
  outgrown 
  the 
  ability 
  of 
  the 
  region 
  to 
  supply 
  them 
  with 
  food. 
  

   The 
  matter 
  has 
  not 
  yet 
  been 
  investigated 
  and 
  the 
  factsin 
  the 
  case 
  are 
  

   not 
  deflnitely 
  known, 
  but 
  the 
  theory 
  proposed 
  is 
  a 
  phiusible 
  one 
  to 
  

   account 
  for 
  the 
  difficulty 
  with 
  which 
  the 
  planter 
  is 
  beset 
  in 
  fitting 
  his 
  

   stock 
  for 
  market. 
  It 
  is 
  well 
  known 
  that 
  when 
  the 
  seed 
  is 
  sowed 
  too 
  

   closely 
  upon 
  a 
  given 
  bed 
  the 
  oysters 
  grow 
  and 
  fatten 
  more 
  slowly 
  than 
  

   upon 
  less 
  thickly 
  populated 
  ground, 
  and 
  only 
  in 
  waters 
  exceptionally 
  

   rich 
  in 
  food 
  can 
  the 
  quantity 
  of 
  seed 
  planted 
  exceed 
  with 
  safety 
  the 
  

   number 
  of 
  bushels 
  stated. 
  When 
  the 
  seed 
  is 
  sowed 
  too 
  thickly 
  there 
  

   is 
  also 
  a 
  tendency 
  to 
  distortion 
  from 
  crowding. 
  

  

  WORKING 
  THE 
  BEDS. 
  

  

  When 
  seed 
  oysters 
  of 
  good 
  quality 
  are 
  used 
  it 
  is 
  generally 
  not 
  

   regarded 
  as 
  necessary 
  to 
  "work 
  the 
  beds," 
  although 
  care 
  should 
  be 
  

   taken 
  to 
  prevent, 
  if 
  possible, 
  the 
  inroads 
  of 
  enemies. 
  The 
  various 
  

   methods 
  of 
  attempted 
  protection 
  from 
  enemies 
  have 
  been 
  discussed 
  in 
  

   another 
  connection. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  sometimes 
  advantageous 
  to 
  dredge 
  over 
  the 
  planted 
  beds 
  to 
  

   remove 
  debris, 
  seaweed, 
  etc., 
  which 
  has 
  drifted 
  upon 
  them, 
  and 
  which 
  

   of 
  itself 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  collection 
  of 
  sand, 
  etc., 
  would 
  smother 
  the 
  oysters 
  

   if 
  allowed 
  to 
  remain. 
  If 
  the 
  bottom 
  is 
  not 
  perfectly 
  fixed 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  

   necessary 
  to 
  shift 
  the 
  oysters 
  during 
  their 
  growth 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  prevent 
  

   "sanding," 
  i. 
  e., 
  being 
  covered 
  with 
  sand, 
  etc., 
  from 
  the 
  drifting 
  bottom. 
  

  

  While 
  oysters 
  grow 
  most 
  rapidly 
  ur)on 
  or 
  near 
  muddy 
  bottom, 
  they 
  

   ai*e 
  often 
  in 
  some 
  respects 
  objectionable 
  if 
  placed 
  upon 
  the 
  market 
  

   directly 
  from 
  such 
  beds. 
  Some 
  planters, 
  therefore, 
  transplant 
  them 
  to 
  

   hard 
  bottom 
  for 
  several 
  months 
  before 
  sending 
  them 
  to 
  market, 
  it 
  being 
  

   said 
  that 
  this 
  improves 
  their 
  flavor 
  and 
  appearance 
  by 
  causing 
  the 
  

   muddy 
  matter 
  in 
  the 
  gills 
  and 
  mantle 
  cavity, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  intestine, 
  

   to 
  be 
  gradually 
  cleared 
  out 
  and 
  disgorged. 
  

  

  In 
  parts 
  of 
  Long 
  Island 
  Sound 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  j^lanters 
  take 
  up 
  a 
  ])or- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  their 
  stock 
  in 
  spring 
  and 
  transplant 
  it 
  to 
  such 
  ground 
  as 
  may 
  

   be 
  available 
  in 
  the 
  bays 
  and 
  harbors. 
  Such 
  transplanted 
  oysters 
  fatten 
  

   and 
  grow 
  more 
  rapidly 
  than 
  those 
  left 
  in 
  the 
  deeper 
  water 
  j 
  the 
  differ- 
  

   ence 
  in 
  condition 
  is 
  manifest 
  to 
  even 
  the 
  inexperienced, 
  and 
  a 
  higher 
  

   price 
  is 
  obtained 
  and 
  a 
  more 
  ready 
  market 
  found 
  for 
  the 
  " 
  harbor 
  

   plants." 
  The 
  area 
  available 
  for 
  this 
  ])urpose, 
  however, 
  is 
  insufiicient 
  to 
  

   permit 
  of 
  the 
  transplanting 
  of 
  more 
  than 
  a 
  very 
  small 
  proportion 
  of 
  

   the 
  "Sound 
  stock." 
  

  

  