﻿OYSTERS 
  AND 
  METHODS 
  OF 
  OYSTER-CULTURE. 
  321 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  manifestly 
  impossible 
  to 
  propose 
  efficient 
  means 
  for 
  increasing 
  

   the 
  abundance 
  of 
  the 
  food 
  organisms 
  over 
  any 
  very 
  extended 
  area 
  of 
  

   open 
  waters, 
  where 
  ownership) 
  is 
  vested 
  in 
  the 
  many 
  and 
  the 
  conditions 
  

   are 
  not 
  subject 
  to 
  control. 
  Only 
  in 
  inclosed 
  or 
  semi-inclosed 
  bodies 
  

   of 
  water 
  could 
  there 
  be 
  any 
  hope 
  of 
  such 
  regulation 
  of 
  temperature, 
  

   density, 
  and 
  other 
  factors 
  as 
  to 
  conform 
  to 
  the 
  best 
  conditions 
  for 
  the 
  

   rapid 
  multiplication 
  of 
  such 
  organisms 
  as 
  constitute 
  the 
  preponderance 
  

   of 
  the 
  oyster's 
  food. 
  If 
  it 
  were 
  possible 
  for 
  the 
  i)lanter 
  to 
  have 
  at 
  his 
  

   command 
  a 
  body 
  of 
  water 
  extremely 
  rich 
  in 
  food 
  he 
  could, 
  in 
  a 
  short 
  time 
  

   and 
  at 
  will, 
  fatten 
  oysters 
  which 
  had 
  grown 
  to 
  a 
  marketable 
  size 
  npon 
  

   other 
  and 
  less 
  favorably 
  situated 
  beds. 
  It 
  is 
  probable 
  that 
  under 
  intelli- 
  

   gent 
  direction 
  a 
  comparatively 
  small 
  area 
  could 
  be 
  made 
  to 
  serve 
  as 
  a 
  

   fattening 
  bed 
  for 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  oysters 
  produced 
  on 
  a 
  great 
  area 
  of 
  ordinary 
  

   shelled 
  ground, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  cost 
  of 
  preparing 
  and 
  maintaining 
  the 
  rich 
  

   food 
  producing 
  beds 
  would 
  be 
  returned 
  many 
  fold 
  in 
  the 
  ready 
  sale 
  and 
  

   high 
  price 
  which 
  the 
  snperior 
  prodnct 
  would 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  command. 
  In 
  

   many 
  places 
  in 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  this 
  plan 
  is 
  followed 
  with 
  success 
  by 
  

   transplanting 
  the 
  oysters 
  from 
  offshore 
  beds 
  to 
  harbors 
  and 
  coves, 
  but 
  

   so 
  far 
  as 
  known 
  no 
  practical 
  and 
  conclusive 
  test 
  of 
  culture 
  in 
  artificially 
  

   prepared 
  ijonds 
  has 
  been 
  made, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  therefore 
  not 
  possible 
  to 
  give 
  

   full 
  and 
  practical 
  directions 
  concerning 
  the 
  method 
  to 
  be 
  followed 
  in 
  

   attempting 
  it. 
  

  

  The 
  European 
  methods 
  are 
  generally 
  not 
  economically 
  adapted 
  to 
  

   use 
  in 
  our 
  waters, 
  but 
  the 
  experience 
  of 
  French 
  culturists 
  has 
  estab- 
  

   lished 
  certain 
  principles 
  which 
  are 
  of 
  general 
  application, 
  and 
  may 
  

   serve 
  as 
  a 
  guide 
  to 
  those 
  working 
  upon 
  somewhat 
  similar 
  lines 
  here. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  many 
  localities 
  within 
  the 
  limits 
  of 
  the 
  oyster-producing 
  

   region 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  where 
  pond 
  culture 
  for 
  the 
  iiurijose 
  of 
  

   growing 
  and 
  fattening 
  oysters 
  would 
  probably 
  prove 
  successful, 
  and 
  salt 
  

   ponds, 
  connected 
  with 
  tide 
  water 
  by 
  natural 
  or 
  artificial 
  channels, 
  could 
  

   often 
  be 
  made 
  to 
  return 
  a 
  good 
  dividend 
  to 
  their 
  owners 
  if 
  converted 
  to 
  

   the 
  uses 
  of 
  oyster 
  culture. 
  In 
  other 
  cases 
  low 
  and 
  swampy 
  land 
  might 
  

   be 
  dredged 
  or 
  excavated 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  answer 
  the 
  purpose, 
  and 
  thus 
  be 
  made 
  

   to 
  return 
  a 
  revenue 
  in 
  perhaps 
  the 
  only 
  possible 
  manner. 
  Such 
  ponds 
  

   should 
  be 
  well 
  protected 
  by 
  embankments 
  sufficient 
  to 
  i)revent 
  the 
  

   entrance 
  of 
  water 
  except 
  when 
  desired, 
  the 
  supply 
  being 
  regulated 
  by 
  

   flood 
  gates 
  which 
  can 
  be 
  opened 
  or 
  closed 
  at 
  will, 
  or 
  the 
  height 
  of 
  the 
  

   embankments 
  may 
  be 
  so 
  adjusted 
  that 
  the 
  water 
  from 
  the 
  sea 
  will 
  enter 
  

   dnring 
  very 
  high 
  tides 
  only, 
  say 
  once 
  or 
  twice 
  a 
  month. 
  When 
  the 
  

   ponds 
  are 
  large 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  that 
  the 
  surface 
  aeration 
  is 
  sufficient 
  

   to 
  supply 
  the 
  oxygen 
  retiuired, 
  but 
  in 
  smaller 
  ponds 
  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  to 
  

   attain 
  this 
  end 
  by 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  frequent 
  interchanges 
  of 
  water 
  between 
  

   the 
  pond 
  and 
  the 
  main 
  body 
  of 
  salt 
  water 
  with 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  connected. 
  

   In 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  practically 
  inclosed 
  ponds 
  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  to 
  provide 
  for 
  

   the 
  addition 
  of 
  fresh 
  water 
  to 
  make 
  good 
  the 
  loss 
  occasioned 
  by 
  evap- 
  

   oration. 
  If 
  this 
  precaution 
  be 
  neglected 
  the 
  density 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  will 
  

   rise 
  above 
  the 
  maximum 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  oyster 
  flourishes. 
  

  

  F. 
  C. 
  T:. 
  181)7 
  21 
  

  

  