﻿OYSTERS 
  AND 
  METHODS 
  OF 
  OYSTER-CULTURE. 
  307 
  

  

  and 
  oystermen 
  attribute 
  this 
  to 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  shells 
  project 
  a 
  greater 
  

   distance 
  above 
  the 
  bottom 
  and 
  that 
  therefore 
  the 
  frj^ 
  come 
  into 
  contact 
  

   with 
  them 
  lirst 
  in 
  their 
  descent 
  for 
  attachment, 
  but 
  as 
  the 
  set 
  is 
  mainly 
  

   upon 
  the 
  convex 
  side 
  of 
  tlie 
  shell 
  and 
  therefore 
  underneath, 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  

   seen 
  that 
  the 
  true 
  explanation 
  of 
  the 
  superiority 
  of 
  the 
  shells 
  is 
  that 
  

   given 
  above. 
  

  

  The 
  quantity 
  of 
  shells 
  sowed 
  upon 
  any 
  given 
  bottem 
  will 
  depend 
  upon 
  

   the 
  judgment 
  of 
  the 
  planter, 
  the 
  general 
  rule 
  being 
  to 
  sow 
  more 
  on 
  soft 
  

   than 
  upon 
  hard 
  bottom, 
  for 
  the 
  reasons 
  before 
  stated. 
  The 
  usual 
  quan- 
  

   tity 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  from 
  250 
  to 
  500 
  bushels 
  of 
  shells 
  per 
  acre, 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  

   planters 
  using 
  about 
  400 
  bushels 
  per 
  acre, 
  except 
  upon 
  very 
  muddy 
  

   bottom; 
  but 
  in 
  Long 
  Island 
  Sound 
  there 
  is 
  an 
  increasing 
  tendency 
  to 
  

   use 
  greater 
  quantities. 
  

  

  In 
  some 
  places 
  the 
  shells 
  may 
  be 
  obtained 
  for 
  the 
  cost 
  of 
  transporta- 
  

   tion. 
  This 
  was 
  the 
  general 
  rule 
  years 
  ago, 
  but 
  with 
  the 
  increase 
  in 
  

   planting 
  a 
  charge 
  of 
  from 
  2 
  to 
  5 
  cents 
  ]}ev 
  bushel 
  is 
  now 
  made 
  for 
  them. 
  

   Many 
  planters 
  who 
  operate 
  canneries 
  or 
  ship 
  "shucked" 
  oysters 
  have 
  

   ready 
  at 
  hand 
  an 
  abundant 
  supply 
  of 
  shells 
  for 
  use 
  as 
  cultch. 
  The 
  cost 
  

   of 
  spreading 
  ranges 
  from 
  ^ 
  to 
  2 
  or 
  3 
  cents 
  per 
  bushel, 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  

   location 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  and 
  the 
  cost 
  of 
  labor, 
  etc. 
  

  

  The 
  principal 
  objection 
  to 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  oj^ster 
  shells 
  is 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  of 
  

   such 
  large 
  size 
  that 
  many 
  more 
  spat 
  attach 
  themselves 
  than 
  have 
  room 
  

   to 
  grow 
  and, 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time, 
  they 
  are 
  so 
  strong 
  and 
  massive. 
  that 
  it. 
  is 
  

   difficult 
  to 
  break 
  them 
  in 
  pieces 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  allow 
  for 
  the 
  expansion 
  of 
  the 
  

   young. 
  As 
  a 
  consequence 
  many 
  young 
  oysters 
  which 
  have 
  successfully 
  

   passed 
  through 
  the 
  early 
  stages 
  of 
  their 
  fixed 
  conditions 
  are 
  smothered 
  

   or 
  overgrown 
  by 
  their 
  more 
  vigorous 
  fellows, 
  which 
  are 
  themselves 
  dis- 
  

   torted 
  by 
  the 
  crowding 
  to 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  subjected. 
  Many 
  are 
  thus 
  

   wasted 
  which 
  would, 
  under 
  better 
  conditions 
  of 
  attachment, 
  have 
  grown 
  

   to 
  a 
  marketable 
  size. 
  (Plate 
  ix.) 
  

  

  For 
  the 
  reasons 
  mentioned 
  scallop, 
  "jingle," 
  and 
  other 
  fragile 
  and 
  

   friable 
  shells 
  (plate 
  xviii, 
  figs. 
  1 
  to 
  G) 
  are, 
  when 
  they 
  can 
  be 
  obtained 
  in 
  

   quantities, 
  to 
  be 
  preferred. 
  Such 
  shells 
  will 
  break 
  up 
  under 
  the 
  mutual 
  

   pressure 
  exerted 
  by 
  the 
  oysters 
  during 
  their 
  growth 
  and 
  the 
  latter 
  will 
  

   then 
  be 
  liberated 
  from 
  the 
  bunches 
  and 
  will 
  tend 
  to 
  grow 
  into 
  shapely 
  and 
  

   desirable 
  forms, 
  witli 
  a 
  smaller 
  rate 
  of 
  mortality. 
  When 
  the 
  currents 
  or 
  

   waves 
  are 
  very 
  strong 
  such 
  frail 
  shells 
  as 
  jingles 
  may 
  prove 
  too 
  slight 
  

   to 
  withstand 
  their 
  action 
  and 
  the 
  i^lanter 
  using 
  them 
  may 
  find, 
  to 
  his 
  

   surprise, 
  that 
  much 
  of 
  his 
  cultch 
  has 
  been 
  carried 
  away. 
  Ui)on 
  some 
  

   portions 
  of 
  the 
  Pacific 
  coast 
  it 
  is 
  said 
  that 
  the 
  wave 
  action 
  and 
  the 
  

   currents 
  are 
  so 
  strong 
  that 
  the 
  light, 
  thin 
  shells 
  ot 
  the 
  native 
  oyster 
  are 
  

   swept 
  away 
  or 
  thrown 
  upon 
  the 
  shore. 
  Otherwise, 
  and 
  for 
  the 
  reasons 
  

   before 
  stated, 
  these 
  shells 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  well 
  adapted 
  to 
  the 
  process 
  of 
  

   sowing 
  and 
  they 
  can 
  also 
  be 
  obtained 
  cheaply 
  and 
  in 
  large 
  quantities. 
  

  

  Other 
  methods 
  of 
  using 
  shells. 
  — 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  recommended 
  or 
  suggested 
  

   that 
  shells 
  of 
  various 
  kinds 
  could 
  be 
  strung 
  upon 
  wires, 
  etc., 
  and 
  sus- 
  

   pended 
  in 
  festoons 
  from 
  stakes 
  planted 
  in 
  the 
  bottom. 
  This 
  would, 
  of 
  

  

  