﻿OYSTERS 
  AND 
  METHODS 
  OF 
  OYSTER-CULTURE. 
  

  

  317 
  

  

  PROTECTION 
  FROM 
  DRILLS, 
  

  

  IS^o 
  method 
  of 
  proved 
  efficiency 
  lias 
  yet 
  been 
  devised 
  for 
  protecting 
  

   oyster-beds 
  from 
  tlie 
  inroads 
  of 
  tlie 
  drill, 
  but 
  by 
  systematic 
  attention 
  

   something 
  could, 
  no 
  doubt, 
  be 
  done 
  to 
  lessen 
  its 
  destructive 
  effects. 
  

   In 
  culling 
  the 
  oysters 
  brought 
  up 
  in 
  the 
  dredge 
  or 
  tongs 
  care 
  should 
  

   be 
  exercised 
  to 
  destroy 
  the 
  drills. 
  Most 
  of 
  them, 
  however, 
  will 
  pass 
  

   through 
  the 
  intervals 
  of 
  the 
  ordinary 
  oyster-dredge, 
  and 
  to 
  obviate 
  this 
  

   a 
  finer 
  bag 
  might 
  be 
  used 
  within 
  the 
  dredge. 
  This 
  could 
  be 
  used 
  

   especially 
  in 
  cleaning 
  up 
  the 
  beds 
  preparatory 
  to 
  planting. 
  It 
  should 
  

   be 
  remembered, 
  in 
  this 
  connection, 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  possible 
  to 
  infect 
  new 
  

   grounds 
  with 
  the 
  drill 
  by 
  its 
  transportation 
  thereto 
  with 
  the 
  seed. 
  The 
  

   deep-water 
  beds 
  of 
  Long 
  Island 
  Sound 
  have 
  of 
  recent 
  years 
  suffered 
  

   more 
  and 
  more 
  from 
  this 
  pest, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  supposed 
  that 
  this 
  is 
  accounted 
  

  

  CiT 
  5. 
  — 
  Drill-tlredge 
  open 
  for 
  emptying. 
  

  

  for 
  by 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  seed 
  from 
  the 
  drill-infested 
  beds 
  in 
  the 
  less 
  saline 
  

   inshore 
  waters. 
  The 
  use 
  of 
  tangles 
  for 
  catching 
  starfish 
  also, 
  no 
  doubt, 
  

   aids 
  in 
  the 
  distribution 
  of 
  the 
  drills 
  by 
  dragging 
  them 
  from 
  place 
  

   to 
  place. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  promising 
  method 
  which 
  has 
  yet 
  been 
  proposed 
  for 
  catch- 
  

   ing 
  this 
  enemy 
  is 
  the 
  invention 
  of 
  Oapt. 
  Thomas 
  Thomas, 
  of 
  New 
  Haven, 
  

   Conn., 
  who 
  has 
  applied 
  for 
  letters 
  patent 
  thereon. 
  It 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  rec- 
  

   tangular 
  frame 
  of 
  iron 
  bars 
  about 
  4 
  feet 
  long, 
  2 
  feet 
  wide, 
  and 
  18 
  or 
  20 
  

   inches 
  dee]). 
  The 
  bottom, 
  ends, 
  and 
  rear 
  are 
  covered 
  with 
  an 
  iron 
  wire 
  

   screen, 
  having 
  a 
  mesh 
  of 
  about 
  half 
  an 
  inch, 
  the 
  top 
  and 
  front 
  being 
  

   left 
  open. 
  To 
  the 
  upper 
  rear 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  frame 
  is 
  hinged 
  a 
  stout 
  

   wire 
  screen 
  of 
  about 
  1-iuch 
  mesh, 
  its 
  length 
  being 
  such 
  that 
  it 
  may 
  

   fall 
  between 
  the 
  ends 
  and 
  its 
  breadth 
  being 
  equal 
  to 
  the 
  diagonal 
  

   of 
  the 
  end 
  pieces 
  when 
  in 
  i)lace; 
  therefore 
  it 
  extends 
  from 
  the 
  lower 
  

  

  