﻿308 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  course, 
  prevent 
  their 
  submergence 
  in 
  places 
  where 
  tlie 
  mud 
  was 
  very 
  

   soft, 
  but 
  as 
  eacli 
  shell 
  would 
  have 
  to 
  be 
  sei)arately 
  handled 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  

   found 
  that 
  this 
  method 
  is 
  too 
  exjiensive 
  to 
  be 
  warranted 
  by 
  the 
  present 
  

   condition 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  business. 
  Another 
  method 
  of 
  utilizing 
  oyster 
  

   shells 
  as 
  cultch 
  is 
  treated 
  of 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  subject 
  of 
  pond 
  

   culture 
  (pp. 
  322-330). 
  

  

  Gravel 
  and 
  pebbles. 
  — 
  This 
  is 
  a 
  form 
  of 
  cultch 
  which 
  is 
  much 
  favored 
  

   by 
  the 
  i^lanters 
  in 
  some 
  parts 
  of 
  Long 
  Island 
  Sound, 
  its 
  principal 
  

   advantages 
  being 
  the 
  small 
  size 
  of 
  its 
  constituent 
  particles 
  and 
  its 
  

   cleanliness. 
  As 
  a 
  rule 
  the 
  pebbles 
  are 
  so 
  small 
  that 
  but 
  few 
  spat 
  fix 
  

   themselves 
  to 
  each 
  (plate 
  xviii, 
  fig. 
  7) 
  and, 
  consequently, 
  there 
  is 
  little 
  or 
  

   no 
  danger 
  of 
  crowding. 
  Not 
  only 
  do 
  a 
  larger 
  proportion 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  

   oysters 
  survive 
  their 
  infancy, 
  but 
  they 
  develop 
  into 
  deeper, 
  more 
  regular 
  

   shapes, 
  are 
  free 
  from 
  bunches, 
  and, 
  consequently, 
  bring 
  a 
  higher 
  price 
  in 
  

   the 
  markets. 
  Where 
  the.trade 
  in 
  " 
  shell 
  stock 
  " 
  is 
  large 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  the 
  

   oysters 
  is 
  a 
  consideration 
  of 
  importance, 
  but 
  where 
  only 
  shucked 
  oys- 
  

   ters 
  are 
  shipped 
  irregularities 
  in 
  shape 
  are 
  less 
  undesirable. 
  The 
  gravel 
  

   is 
  more* 
  cleanly 
  than 
  shells, 
  because 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  attacked 
  by 
  the 
  boring 
  

   sponge, 
  which 
  gives 
  rise 
  to 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  debris 
  found 
  ui)on 
  the 
  oyster- 
  

   beds. 
  There 
  is 
  also 
  less 
  liability 
  to 
  the 
  introduction 
  of 
  oyster 
  enemies 
  

   than 
  when 
  shells 
  are 
  utilized. 
  

  

  The 
  bottom 
  used 
  for 
  obtaining 
  a 
  "pebble 
  set" 
  must 
  be 
  firmer 
  than 
  

   that 
  which 
  will 
  suffice 
  for 
  the 
  sowing 
  of 
  shells, 
  the 
  gravel 
  being 
  heavier 
  

   in 
  proportion 
  to 
  its 
  surface 
  and 
  therefore 
  more 
  liable 
  to 
  sink. 
  It 
  also 
  

   presents 
  less 
  surface 
  on 
  muddy 
  bottoms, 
  where 
  the 
  pebbles 
  will 
  soon 
  

   become 
  buried 
  to 
  their 
  equators, 
  and 
  if 
  there 
  is 
  any 
  sedimentation 
  there 
  

   is 
  left 
  no 
  surface 
  available 
  for 
  the 
  attachment 
  of 
  the 
  fry. 
  Rounded, 
  

   water- 
  worn 
  pebbles 
  are 
  usually 
  preferred, 
  such 
  oflering 
  more 
  surface 
  

   free 
  from 
  sediment 
  than 
  flat 
  stones. 
  They 
  afford, 
  perhaps, 
  the 
  best 
  form 
  

   of 
  cultch 
  for 
  use 
  upon 
  firm 
  bottoms, 
  when 
  there 
  is 
  sufficient 
  current 
  to 
  

   prevent 
  the 
  rai^id 
  deposit 
  of 
  sediment. 
  It 
  is 
  observed 
  that 
  gravel 
  

   beaches, 
  wheu 
  these 
  conditions- 
  obtain, 
  are 
  often 
  the 
  most 
  valuable 
  of 
  

   natural 
  spatting-grounds. 
  In 
  some 
  places 
  gravelly 
  material 
  dredged 
  

   from 
  harbors 
  and 
  channels 
  during 
  the 
  improvement 
  of 
  wa-terways 
  is 
  

   used 
  to 
  advantage. 
  Crushed 
  stone, 
  averaging 
  about 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  a 
  wal- 
  

   nut, 
  is 
  also 
  an 
  excellent 
  collector. 
  Gravel 
  or 
  crushed 
  stone 
  is 
  generally 
  

   more 
  expensive 
  than 
  shells, 
  costing 
  from 
  5 
  to 
  7 
  cents 
  per 
  bushel. 
  The 
  

   custom 
  is 
  to 
  sow 
  from 
  25 
  to 
  30 
  cubic 
  yards 
  (from 
  500 
  to 
  600 
  bushels) 
  per 
  

   acre 
  when 
  used 
  alone, 
  but 
  a 
  smaller 
  quantity 
  if 
  shells 
  are 
  also 
  used. 
  

  

  Scraj) 
  tin, 
  tin 
  cans, 
  etc. 
  — 
  In 
  some 
  places 
  old 
  tin 
  cans 
  and 
  scrap 
  tin 
  of 
  

   various 
  kinds 
  is 
  found 
  to 
  give 
  good 
  results 
  when 
  used 
  as 
  cultch. 
  It 
  

   has 
  the 
  advantage 
  of 
  becoming 
  corroded 
  and 
  gradually 
  dissolving 
  in 
  

   the 
  salt 
  water, 
  thus 
  releasing 
  the 
  young 
  oysters 
  before 
  they 
  begin 
  to 
  

   crowd 
  one 
  another 
  and 
  allowing 
  them 
  to 
  grow 
  into 
  well-shaped 
  adults. 
  

   Moreover, 
  as 
  the 
  cultch 
  each 
  year 
  disai)pears 
  in 
  solution, 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  

   debris 
  from 
  this 
  source 
  to 
  litter 
  the 
  ground 
  and 
  to 
  cause 
  the 
  expense 
  

   of 
  culling. 
  It 
  seems 
  that, 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  old 
  tin 
  cans, 
  this 
  type 
  of 
  cultch 
  

  

  