﻿312 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  and 
  by 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  currents. 
  On 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  the 
  eggs, 
  and 
  

   especially 
  the 
  spermatozoa, 
  will 
  probably 
  die 
  unless 
  they 
  fulfill 
  their 
  

   destiny 
  within 
  a 
  much 
  shorter 
  jieriod, 
  and 
  the 
  sooner 
  they 
  are 
  brought 
  

   into 
  contact 
  with 
  one 
  another 
  the 
  better, 
  and 
  the 
  smaller 
  the 
  bulk 
  of 
  

   water 
  through 
  Avhich 
  they 
  are 
  at 
  first 
  distributed 
  the 
  larger 
  the 
  number 
  

   which 
  will 
  accomplish 
  successful 
  union. 
  

  

  Upon 
  these 
  considerations 
  is 
  based 
  the 
  advice 
  not 
  to 
  scatter 
  the 
  

   "mother 
  oysters" 
  too 
  widely. 
  Fifty 
  bushels 
  of 
  oysters, 
  250 
  to 
  the 
  

   bushel, 
  scattered 
  evenly 
  over 
  an 
  acre 
  would 
  allow 
  one 
  oyster 
  in 
  every 
  

   22 
  J 
  linear 
  inches 
  in 
  each 
  direction, 
  plenty 
  near 
  enough 
  if 
  they 
  were 
  to 
  

   all 
  spawn 
  at 
  one 
  time, 
  but 
  it 
  must 
  be 
  remembered 
  that 
  the 
  proportion 
  

   ripe 
  at 
  any 
  one 
  time 
  is 
  not 
  so 
  large, 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  possibility 
  of 
  all 
  of 
  

   the 
  oysters 
  over 
  a 
  considerable 
  space 
  being 
  of 
  one 
  sex. 
  

  

  The 
  "mother 
  oysters" 
  used 
  for 
  this 
  purpose 
  are 
  i)referably 
  obtained 
  

   from 
  the 
  neighborhood 
  of 
  the 
  planting-ground. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  remarked 
  

   in 
  another 
  connection 
  that 
  transplanting 
  mature 
  oysters, 
  especially 
  

   from 
  a 
  warmer 
  to 
  a 
  colder 
  region, 
  may 
  have 
  the 
  efiect 
  of 
  checking 
  the 
  

   development 
  of 
  the 
  genital 
  products, 
  and 
  Dr. 
  Eyder 
  has 
  commented 
  

   npon 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  sijermatozoa 
  of 
  ripe 
  oysters 
  are 
  killed 
  by 
  being 
  

   changed 
  to 
  much 
  denser 
  or 
  warmer 
  water 
  than 
  that 
  in 
  which 
  they 
  have 
  

   been 
  living. 
  The 
  endeavor 
  should 
  be, 
  therefore, 
  to 
  study 
  the 
  con- 
  

   ditions 
  on 
  the 
  planting-grounds, 
  and 
  to 
  procure 
  the 
  si)awners 
  from 
  

   beds 
  as 
  nearly 
  as 
  possible 
  similar 
  in 
  the 
  conditions 
  of 
  temperature 
  and 
  

   density. 
  Where 
  this 
  consideration 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  closely 
  followed, 
  as 
  for 
  

   instance 
  in 
  the 
  shipment 
  of 
  eastern 
  oysters 
  to 
  places 
  on 
  the 
  Pacific 
  

   Coast, 
  the 
  brood 
  oysters 
  should 
  be 
  sent 
  during 
  the 
  fall 
  preceding 
  the 
  

   season 
  at 
  which 
  the 
  cultch 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  put 
  down. 
  They 
  will 
  then 
  be 
  pretty 
  

   well 
  disgorged 
  of 
  their 
  ripe 
  genital 
  products 
  and 
  the 
  time 
  intervening 
  

   before 
  the 
  next 
  period 
  of 
  sexual 
  activity 
  will 
  probably 
  be 
  sufficient 
  to 
  

   acclimatize 
  them. 
  

  

  WORKING 
  THE 
  BEDS. 
  

  

  Many 
  planters 
  are 
  content 
  to 
  allow 
  their 
  beds 
  to 
  remain 
  unworked 
  

   until 
  they 
  are 
  ready 
  to 
  market 
  their 
  crop, 
  whether 
  this 
  be 
  one, 
  two, 
  

   three, 
  or 
  more 
  years. 
  In 
  some 
  instances 
  this 
  may 
  be 
  satisfactory, 
  but 
  

   often, 
  and 
  perhaps 
  usually, 
  it 
  is 
  better 
  to 
  go 
  over 
  the 
  beds 
  with 
  tongs 
  or 
  

   dredges, 
  cleaning 
  up 
  the 
  debris 
  and 
  separating 
  the 
  oyster 
  clusters 
  or 
  

   even 
  in 
  some 
  cases 
  removing 
  tlie 
  seed 
  to 
  localities 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  condi- 
  

   tions 
  are 
  more 
  favorable 
  for 
  rapid 
  growth, 
  for 
  in 
  many 
  cases 
  the 
  best 
  

   spatting-grounds 
  are 
  not 
  the 
  most 
  favorable 
  for 
  subsequent 
  growth. 
  

  

  The 
  stage 
  at 
  which 
  the 
  planter 
  will 
  find 
  it 
  most 
  profitable 
  to 
  sell 
  his 
  

   oysters 
  will 
  depend 
  much 
  upon 
  circumstances. 
  Sometimes 
  the 
  set 
  of 
  

   spat 
  will 
  be 
  greater 
  than 
  could 
  be 
  advantageously 
  grown 
  upon 
  the 
  area 
  

   covered 
  and 
  some 
  of 
  it 
  could 
  be 
  manifestly 
  removed 
  to 
  advantage. 
  

   Some 
  planters 
  find 
  it 
  more 
  profitable 
  to 
  sell 
  their 
  oysters 
  as 
  seed, 
  thus 
  

   receiving 
  quicker 
  returns 
  for 
  their 
  investment 
  and 
  also 
  lessening 
  the 
  

   possibility 
  of 
  losses 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  enemies 
  or 
  the 
  advent 
  of 
  

  

  