﻿318 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  front 
  edge 
  to 
  the 
  upper 
  rear 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  frame. 
  Attached 
  to 
  the 
  

   lower 
  front 
  bar 
  is 
  a 
  broad 
  bhide 
  of 
  iron 
  or 
  steel, 
  inclined 
  somewhat 
  

   downward 
  and 
  forward 
  from 
  the 
  plane 
  of 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  box. 
  The 
  

   whole 
  is 
  attached 
  to 
  a 
  dredge 
  frame, 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  chain 
  used 
  in 
  

   dragging 
  is 
  made 
  fast. 
  (See 
  cuts 
  4 
  and 
  5.) 
  

  

  When 
  this 
  appliance 
  is 
  dragged 
  over 
  the 
  bottom 
  the 
  oysters 
  and 
  other 
  

   inhabitants 
  of 
  the 
  beds, 
  together 
  with 
  shells 
  and 
  debris 
  of 
  all 
  kinds, 
  

   are 
  lifted 
  from 
  their 
  resting-places 
  by 
  the 
  blade 
  and 
  deposited 
  upon 
  the 
  

   inclined 
  screen 
  or 
  apron. 
  The 
  motion 
  of 
  the 
  trap 
  and 
  the 
  pressure 
  

   exerted 
  by 
  the 
  accumulating 
  material 
  in 
  front 
  gradually 
  pass 
  the 
  mass 
  

   backward 
  across 
  the 
  screen, 
  the 
  smaller 
  particles, 
  drills, 
  etc., 
  sifting 
  

   into 
  the 
  box, 
  while 
  the 
  oysters, 
  being 
  too 
  large 
  to 
  pass 
  through, 
  finally 
  

   fall 
  over 
  the 
  edge 
  behind. 
  

  

  By 
  this 
  means 
  the 
  varied 
  material 
  on 
  the 
  beds 
  undergoes 
  a 
  process 
  

   of 
  screening, 
  the 
  oysters 
  being 
  automatically 
  returned 
  to 
  the 
  bottom, 
  

   while 
  a 
  large 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  debris 
  is 
  held 
  and 
  brought 
  to 
  the 
  surface. 
  

   That 
  the 
  device 
  will 
  accomplish 
  this 
  has 
  been 
  demonstrated, 
  but 
  whether 
  

   the 
  drill 
  can 
  be 
  successfully 
  fought 
  by 
  this 
  means 
  has 
  still 
  to 
  be 
  shown, 
  

   although 
  the 
  i)rospects 
  are 
  favorable. 
  

  

  PROTECTION 
  FROM 
  WINKLES. 
  

  

  The 
  conchs 
  or 
  winkles 
  have 
  never 
  been 
  a 
  serious 
  menace 
  to 
  our 
  

   oyster-beds. 
  Their 
  small 
  numbers 
  and 
  large 
  size 
  and 
  the 
  large 
  size 
  of 
  

   their 
  egg 
  cases 
  make 
  it 
  possible 
  to 
  successfully 
  fight 
  them 
  by 
  destroy- 
  

   ing 
  all 
  winkles 
  and 
  egg 
  cases 
  brought 
  up 
  in 
  the 
  process 
  of 
  dredging 
  or 
  

   tonging. 
  

  

  PROTECTION 
  FROM 
  SPONGES, 
  HYDROIDS, 
  MUSSELS, 
  ETC. 
  

  

  The 
  growth 
  of 
  sponges, 
  hydroids, 
  etc., 
  when 
  so 
  rank 
  as 
  to 
  threaten 
  

   the 
  welfare 
  of 
  the 
  oysters, 
  may 
  be 
  kept 
  down 
  by 
  working 
  over 
  the 
  beds 
  

   with 
  the 
  oyster 
  dredge 
  and 
  culling 
  out 
  the 
  debris. 
  A 
  thorough 
  cleaning 
  

   up 
  of 
  the 
  ground 
  before 
  planting 
  and 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  clean 
  seed 
  and 
  cultch 
  

   go 
  far 
  toward 
  the 
  prevention 
  of 
  trouble 
  from 
  this 
  source. 
  

  

  PROTECTION 
  FROM 
  STRONO 
  VEGETABLE 
  GROVP^THS. 
  

  

  In 
  places 
  where 
  eelgrass 
  (Zostera), 
  etc., 
  grow 
  so 
  rapidly 
  as 
  to 
  cause 
  

   stagnation 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  and 
  suffocation 
  of 
  the 
  oysters 
  some 
  means 
  must 
  

   be 
  adopted 
  for 
  its 
  removal. 
  Sometimes 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  removed 
  with 
  an 
  ordi- 
  

   nary 
  scythe 
  at 
  low 
  water. 
  A 
  grower 
  in 
  New 
  Jersey 
  has 
  invented 
  for 
  

   this 
  purpose 
  what 
  has 
  been 
  termed 
  an 
  "aquatic 
  mowing 
  machine." 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  described 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  

  

  Eelgrass 
  grows 
  abundantly 
  in 
  some 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  Navesink 
  River 
  and, 
  as 
  in 
  other 
  

   localities 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  found, 
  acquires 
  in 
  due 
  time 
  full 
  possession 
  of 
  the 
  areas 
  where 
  

   it 
  grows, 
  rendering 
  them 
  useless 
  for 
  oyster-culture. 
  In 
  combating 
  this 
  enemy 
  of 
  

   the 
  oyster-planting 
  industry, 
  Mr. 
  Charles 
  T. 
  Allen, 
  of 
  the 
  firm 
  of 
  Snyder 
  &. 
  Allen, 
  

   Oceanic, 
  N. 
  J., 
  has 
  achieved 
  a 
  degree 
  of 
  success 
  heretofore 
  uuequaled. 
  After 
  

   expending 
  much 
  fruitless 
  labor 
  in 
  eft'orts 
  to 
  mow 
  the 
  eelgrass 
  with 
  a 
  scythe, 
  a 
  method 
  

   which 
  proved 
  impracticable 
  because 
  the 
  water 
  was 
  sometimes 
  too 
  deep 
  and 
  also 
  on 
  

  

  