﻿306 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  oflPer 
  tlie 
  largest 
  available 
  area 
  for 
  the 
  attachment 
  of 
  tlie 
  spat. 
  Where 
  

   the 
  bottom 
  is 
  so 
  soft, 
  however, 
  that 
  the 
  shells 
  would 
  tend 
  to 
  sink 
  before 
  

   the 
  young 
  oysters 
  have 
  reached 
  a 
  size 
  to 
  enable 
  them 
  to 
  successfully 
  

   combat 
  such 
  <;onditions, 
  it 
  is 
  preferable 
  to 
  surface 
  the 
  bottom 
  in 
  the 
  

   manner 
  described 
  for 
  planting 
  seed 
  oysters, 
  or 
  the 
  shells 
  may 
  be 
  thrown 
  

   over 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  fall 
  in 
  ^at 
  heaps, 
  those 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  forming 
  a 
  foundation 
  

   support 
  for 
  those 
  above, 
  leaving 
  only 
  the 
  upper 
  shells 
  available 
  for 
  the 
  

   set 
  of 
  spat, 
  those 
  below 
  soon 
  becoming 
  buried 
  in 
  the 
  mud. 
  

  

  Shells 
  may 
  be 
  planted 
  in 
  all 
  depths 
  of 
  water 
  with 
  equal 
  facility. 
  

   They 
  are 
  cheap 
  and 
  readily 
  obtainable 
  in 
  all 
  oyster 
  regions. 
  Clam 
  and 
  

   scallop 
  shells 
  are 
  also 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  manner. 
  The 
  quantity 
  required 
  

   to 
  properly 
  "shell" 
  a 
  bed 
  depends 
  upon 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  bottom. 
  

   When 
  the 
  ground 
  is 
  soft 
  a 
  larger 
  number 
  is 
  necessary 
  than 
  upon 
  hard 
  

   ground, 
  because 
  in 
  the 
  former 
  case 
  many 
  become 
  buried 
  in 
  the 
  mud 
  or 
  

   covered 
  up 
  by 
  the 
  others, 
  whereas 
  in 
  the 
  latter 
  instance 
  they 
  all 
  become 
  

   available 
  as 
  collectors. 
  

  

  Upon 
  soft 
  ground 
  some 
  planters, 
  instead 
  of 
  preparing 
  the 
  bottom 
  

   with 
  sand 
  or 
  gravel, 
  apply 
  a 
  layer 
  of 
  oyster 
  shells 
  a, 
  couple 
  of 
  months 
  

   before 
  it 
  is 
  time 
  to 
  distribute 
  the 
  cultch* 
  jjroper. 
  Those 
  first 
  applied 
  

   sink 
  a 
  short 
  distance 
  into 
  the 
  mud 
  where 
  they 
  become 
  suspended 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  

   form 
  a 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  solid 
  substratum 
  which 
  supports 
  the 
  cultch 
  applied 
  

   later. 
  A 
  bed 
  so 
  prepared 
  simulates 
  the 
  natural 
  banks, 
  which 
  in 
  most 
  

   places 
  overlie 
  a 
  mud 
  bed 
  that, 
  in 
  its 
  upper 
  portions, 
  has 
  acquired 
  some 
  

   consistency 
  and 
  firmness 
  by 
  the 
  shells 
  lying 
  buried 
  in 
  it. 
  

  

  After 
  a 
  muddy 
  bed 
  has 
  been 
  shelled 
  for 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  successive 
  years 
  

   it 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  to 
  become 
  gradually 
  firmer. 
  Each 
  year 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  

   planted 
  shells 
  become 
  covered 
  up 
  and 
  are 
  left 
  remaining 
  when 
  the 
  

   oysters 
  are 
  removed 
  and 
  thus 
  it 
  happens 
  that 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  a 
  well- 
  

   handled 
  planting- 
  ground 
  improves 
  with 
  use. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  oyster 
  or 
  clam 
  shells 
  are 
  thrown 
  from 
  the 
  boats 
  they 
  will 
  

   be 
  found 
  to 
  fall 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  convex 
  side 
  rests 
  uj^on 
  the 
  bottom. 
  There 
  

   is 
  nothing 
  very 
  remarkable 
  or 
  inexplicable 
  in 
  this, 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  entirely 
  in 
  

   accordance 
  with 
  the 
  ordinary 
  laws 
  of 
  the 
  resistance 
  of 
  fluids 
  to 
  the 
  pas- 
  

   sage 
  of 
  a 
  solid 
  body 
  through 
  them; 
  but 
  in 
  sowing 
  the 
  shells, 
  however, 
  

   it 
  is 
  important 
  that 
  they 
  so 
  fall. 
  In 
  most 
  cases, 
  if 
  such 
  cultch 
  be 
  

   examined, 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  that 
  nearly 
  or 
  quite 
  the 
  entire 
  set 
  of 
  spat 
  is 
  

   upon 
  the 
  convex 
  or 
  lower 
  side. 
  As 
  the 
  shell 
  falls 
  its 
  greatest 
  convexity 
  

   rests 
  upon 
  the 
  bottom, 
  its 
  edge 
  being 
  held 
  clear 
  of 
  the 
  mud 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  

   of 
  a 
  projecting 
  ledge, 
  sheltered 
  on 
  its 
  under 
  side 
  from 
  the 
  suffocating 
  

   sediment 
  deposited 
  upon 
  the 
  upper 
  surface. 
  In 
  ordinary 
  situations 
  

   perfectly 
  flat 
  pieces 
  of 
  tile, 
  shale, 
  etc., 
  would 
  be 
  vastly 
  inferior 
  to 
  shells, 
  

   for 
  the 
  lower 
  surface 
  would 
  lie 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  bottom 
  while 
  the 
  upper 
  

   would 
  become 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  muddy 
  deposit 
  from 
  the 
  water, 
  between 
  

   the 
  two 
  the 
  young 
  oyster 
  having 
  but 
  scant 
  opportunity 
  tor 
  flxa4:ion. 
  

  

  It 
  has 
  been 
  observed 
  that 
  when 
  shells 
  and 
  gravel 
  are 
  spread 
  upon 
  

   the 
  same 
  beds 
  the 
  former 
  usually 
  catch 
  the 
  larger 
  amount 
  of 
  spat, 
  

   especially 
  in 
  years 
  in 
  which 
  there 
  is 
  but 
  a 
  moderate 
  set. 
  The 
  planters 
  

  

  