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  REPORT 
  OF 
  CO: 
  MISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  The 
  bottom 
  from 
  which 
  the 
  oysters 
  have 
  beeu 
  shilted 
  is, 
  of 
  course, 
  

   cleansed 
  of 
  rubbish 
  when 
  the 
  oysters 
  are 
  taken 
  up 
  and 
  may 
  be 
  at 
  once 
  

   utilized 
  for 
  fresh 
  seed. 
  Some 
  oysterineu 
  prefer 
  to 
  let 
  it 
  lie 
  idle 
  for 
  a 
  

   year, 
  supposing* 
  that 
  this 
  increases 
  its 
  fitness 
  for 
  a 
  further 
  crop, 
  but 
  

   there 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  no 
  good 
  reason 
  for 
  this, 
  though 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  that 
  this 
  

   course 
  permits 
  of 
  a 
  recuperation 
  of 
  the 
  food 
  supply 
  on 
  the 
  fallow 
  beds. 
  

  

  The 
  length 
  of 
  time 
  during 
  which 
  the 
  plants 
  are 
  allowed 
  to 
  lie 
  depends 
  

   upon 
  the 
  location 
  of 
  the 
  beds, 
  as 
  affecting 
  the 
  rapidity 
  of 
  growth, 
  upon 
  

   the 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  seed 
  planted, 
  and 
  upon 
  the 
  judgment 
  of 
  the 
  i)lanter. 
  In 
  

   many 
  j)laces 
  "yearling" 
  seed 
  will 
  be 
  ready 
  for 
  the 
  market 
  in 
  two 
  or 
  

   three 
  j'ears 
  after 
  being 
  jjlanted, 
  i. 
  e., 
  when 
  the 
  oysters 
  are 
  3 
  or 
  4 
  years 
  

   old, 
  but 
  in 
  exceptionally 
  favorable 
  localities, 
  such 
  as 
  Jamaica 
  Bay, 
  

   Long 
  Island, 
  such 
  seed 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  grow 
  to 
  marketable 
  size 
  in 
  six 
  months 
  

   or 
  a 
  year. 
  In 
  some 
  places 
  it 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  now 
  take 
  a 
  year 
  longer 
  for 
  the 
  

   oysters 
  to 
  mature 
  than 
  when 
  planting 
  was 
  first 
  practiced. 
  

  

  As 
  large 
  oysters 
  bring 
  a 
  better 
  price 
  than 
  small 
  ones, 
  it 
  generally 
  

   pays 
  to 
  allow 
  them 
  to 
  grow 
  for 
  a 
  year 
  or 
  two 
  after 
  they 
  reach 
  a 
  market- 
  

   able 
  size, 
  but 
  this 
  is 
  a 
  matter 
  which 
  the 
  planter 
  will 
  determine 
  for 
  

   himself, 
  as 
  conditions 
  vary 
  with 
  the 
  locality. 
  

  

  As 
  the 
  i)lanter 
  generally 
  wishes 
  to 
  harvest 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  his 
  crop 
  each 
  

   year, 
  it 
  is 
  customary 
  to 
  divide 
  the 
  beds 
  into 
  sections, 
  which 
  are 
  planted 
  

   in 
  successive 
  years 
  in 
  such 
  a 
  manner 
  as 
  may 
  suit 
  the 
  plan 
  of 
  operations 
  

   of 
  the 
  particular 
  grower 
  concerned. 
  

  

  PLANTING 
  WITH 
  CULTCH 
  OR 
  STOOL. 
  

   PRELIMINARY 
  CONSIDERATIONS. 
  

  

  This 
  method 
  of 
  oyster-culture 
  is 
  that 
  which 
  was 
  first 
  adopted, 
  and 
  to 
  

   it 
  and 
  its 
  modifications 
  we 
  must 
  doubtless 
  look 
  for 
  future 
  growth 
  in 
  

   the 
  oyster 
  industry. 
  The 
  method 
  of 
  planting 
  seed 
  oysters 
  improves 
  

   the 
  size, 
  shape, 
  and 
  flavor 
  of 
  the 
  plants, 
  and 
  to 
  some 
  extent 
  increases 
  

   the 
  quantity 
  of 
  oysters 
  available 
  for 
  the 
  markets, 
  but, 
  nevertheless, 
  

   many 
  of 
  those 
  which 
  are 
  raised 
  from 
  seed 
  derived 
  from 
  the 
  natural 
  

   beds 
  would 
  have 
  reached 
  a 
  marketable 
  size 
  if 
  left 
  to 
  remain. 
  Moreover, 
  

   the 
  natural 
  beds 
  are 
  now 
  being 
  depleted 
  at 
  a 
  rapid 
  rate 
  by 
  the 
  drain 
  

   which 
  has 
  been 
  made 
  upon 
  them. 
  Not 
  only 
  are 
  they 
  compelled 
  to 
  

   supply 
  oysters 
  for 
  market, 
  but 
  the 
  young 
  growth 
  is 
  now 
  carried 
  ofl" 
  to 
  

   be 
  planted 
  elsewhere. 
  As 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  spawning 
  oysters 
  on 
  the 
  beds 
  

   is 
  reduced 
  and 
  as 
  the 
  spawners 
  become 
  more 
  scattered, 
  the 
  reproduc- 
  

   tive 
  capacity 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  is 
  being 
  lowered, 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  the 
  

   removal 
  of 
  both 
  oysters 
  and 
  shells 
  leaves 
  fewer 
  points 
  of 
  attachment 
  

   for 
  the 
  young 
  spat. 
  As 
  the 
  seed-producing 
  power 
  of 
  the 
  natural 
  beds 
  

   becomes 
  reduced 
  from 
  these 
  various 
  causes, 
  the 
  planter 
  must 
  have 
  

   recourse 
  to 
  other 
  methods 
  for 
  obtaining 
  his 
  set 
  of 
  young 
  oysters. 
  

   Fortunately, 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  well-tried 
  method 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  adopted. 
  The 
  

   oystermen 
  long 
  ago 
  noticed 
  that 
  under 
  certain 
  conditions 
  not 
  only 
  did 
  

   natural 
  objects 
  of 
  various 
  kinds 
  become 
  covered 
  with 
  young 
  oysters, 
  

  

  