﻿OYSTERS 
  AND 
  METHODS 
  OF 
  OYSTER-CULTURE. 
  327 
  

  

  labor 
  to 
  be 
  expended 
  in 
  making 
  the 
  necessary 
  excavations 
  will 
  be 
  pronortionally 
  

   diminisbed, 
  and 
  no 
  assistance 
  from 
  a 
  skilled 
  engineer 
  will 
  be 
  required. 
  

  

  Whether 
  the 
  spawning 
  pond 
  is 
  excavated 
  or 
  not, 
  the 
  jninciple 
  upon 
  which 
  the 
  

   system 
  is 
  constructed 
  and 
  operated 
  remains 
  the 
  same, 
  namely, 
  that 
  the 
  area 
  of 
  the 
  

   canal 
  systems 
  and 
  the 
  ponds 
  be 
  about 
  the 
  same. 
  In 
  order 
  that 
  the 
  fry 
  be 
  not 
  car- 
  

   ried 
  past 
  the 
  collectors, 
  the 
  area 
  of 
  the 
  pond 
  should 
  not 
  much 
  exceed 
  the 
  total 
  area 
  

   of 
  the 
  canals. 
  In 
  order 
  that 
  the 
  fry 
  may 
  be 
  wafted 
  to 
  the 
  outermost 
  collectors, 
  the 
  

   area 
  of 
  the 
  canal 
  system 
  ought 
  not 
  to 
  greatly 
  exceed 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  pond 
  or 
  ponds. 
  

  

  Canals 
  constructed 
  between 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  spawning 
  ponds 
  may 
  also 
  bo 
  utilize<l; 
  in 
  

   fact, 
  a 
  great 
  many 
  other 
  modilications 
  of 
  the 
  system 
  are 
  available, 
  which 
  would 
  

   become 
  apparent 
  only 
  after 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  a 
  given 
  location. 
  The 
  plans 
  for 
  carrying 
  out 
  

   this 
  system 
  would, 
  in 
  fact, 
  have 
  to 
  conform 
  to 
  the 
  demands 
  of 
  the 
  location, 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  

   may 
  be 
  said 
  that 
  each 
  establishment 
  would 
  have 
  to 
  be 
  designed 
  in 
  conformity 
  with 
  

   local 
  conditions. 
  

  

  If 
  cultch 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  shells 
  is 
  the 
  best 
  (for 
  which 
  conclusion 
  we 
  have 
  assigned 
  

   reasons), 
  it 
  follows 
  that 
  such 
  material 
  should 
  be 
  so 
  utilized 
  as 
  to 
  obtain 
  the 
  Lugest 
  

   possible 
  return 
  for 
  the 
  least 
  jiossible 
  outlay. 
  In 
  other 
  words, 
  if 
  shell 
  cultch 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  

   used 
  at 
  all, 
  let 
  it 
  be 
  expeditiously 
  and 
  economically, 
  and 
  not 
  wastefully 
  and 
  

   unscientifically, 
  employed. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  that 
  even 
  the 
  sowing 
  of 
  shells 
  is 
  

   profitable, 
  as 
  has 
  been 
  conclusively 
  demonstrated, 
  and 
  in 
  one 
  type 
  of 
  culture, 
  

   namely, 
  that 
  which 
  is 
  practiced 
  in 
  deep 
  water, 
  it 
  is 
  probable 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  the 
  only 
  

   practicable 
  method 
  which 
  will 
  be 
  devised 
  for 
  a 
  long 
  time 
  to 
  come. 
  While 
  it 
  is 
  to 
  a 
  

   great 
  extent 
  wasteful 
  and 
  at 
  times 
  uncertain, 
  for 
  the 
  present, 
  at 
  least, 
  there 
  seems 
  

   to 
  be 
  no 
  other 
  which 
  can 
  be 
  so 
  economically 
  and 
  successfully 
  operated 
  over 
  large, 
  

   open, 
  navigable 
  areas. 
  Large 
  areas 
  operated 
  by 
  one 
  individual 
  or 
  corporation 
  can 
  

   not 
  always 
  be 
  commanded, 
  or 
  only 
  exceptionally, 
  under 
  the 
  existing 
  laws 
  of 
  the 
  

   States 
  of 
  Maryland 
  and 
  Virginia. 
  In 
  those 
  States, 
  however, 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  possible 
  to 
  

   command 
  the 
  right 
  to 
  natural 
  areas 
  of 
  water 
  which 
  are 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  nearly 
  land- 
  

   locked, 
  the 
  system 
  of 
  merely 
  sowing 
  shells 
  would 
  be 
  positively 
  wasteful 
  and 
  not 
  in 
  

   conformity 
  with 
  the 
  results 
  attainable 
  under 
  the 
  guidance 
  of 
  the 
  proper 
  knowledge. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  practice 
  of 
  shell 
  sowing 
  that 
  extensive 
  areas 
  will 
  sometimes 
  fail 
  

   to 
  produce 
  any 
  spat. 
  This 
  is 
  apparently 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  currents 
  which 
  have 
  

   swept 
  the 
  fry 
  off 
  the 
  beds, 
  or 
  to 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  sediment, 
  which 
  has 
  put 
  an 
  end 
  to 
  

   the 
  first 
  stages 
  of 
  its 
  fixed 
  career. 
  Even 
  after 
  the 
  sjiat 
  is 
  caught, 
  great 
  destruction 
  

   may 
  occur 
  through 
  the 
  inroads 
  of 
  starfishes, 
  or 
  a 
  too 
  rapid 
  multiplication 
  of 
  worm 
  

   tubes 
  over 
  the 
  cultch 
  and 
  spat. 
  The 
  latter 
  is 
  sometimes 
  smothered 
  in 
  vast 
  numbers 
  

   from 
  the 
  last-mentioned 
  cause, 
  as 
  has 
  been 
  recently 
  discovered 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Rowe. 
  Such 
  

   casualties 
  are 
  rendered 
  either 
  impossible 
  or 
  readily 
  observable 
  during 
  their 
  early 
  

   stages 
  by 
  the 
  method 
  of 
  inclosing 
  the 
  cultch 
  in 
  suspended 
  receiitacles, 
  as 
  suggested 
  

   in 
  this 
  i)aper. 
  The 
  netting 
  will 
  effectually 
  protect 
  the 
  young 
  spat 
  against 
  the 
  attacks 
  

   of 
  large 
  starfishes, 
  and 
  no 
  growth 
  of 
  barnacles 
  or 
  tunicates, 
  worm 
  tubes 
  or 
  sponges, 
  

   would 
  be 
  rapid 
  enough 
  during 
  the 
  spatting 
  period, 
  judging 
  from 
  an 
  (experience 
  

   extending 
  through 
  several 
  seasons, 
  to 
  seriously 
  impair 
  the 
  spatting 
  capacity 
  of 
  the 
  

   cultch 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  suspended 
  receptacles. 
  Any 
  of 
  the 
  larger 
  carnivorous 
  moUusks, 
  

   fishes, 
  or 
  crustaceans 
  which 
  could 
  prey 
  on 
  the 
  young 
  oysters 
  can 
  also 
  be 
  barred 
  out 
  

   and 
  kept 
  from 
  committing 
  serious 
  depredations 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  the 
  netting 
  around 
  the 
  

   cultch, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  screens 
  placed 
  at 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  canal. 
  

  

  The 
  maximum 
  efficiency 
  of 
  the 
  cultch 
  is 
  not 
  realized 
  iu 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  old 
  forms 
  of 
  

   collectors, 
  for 
  the 
  reason 
  that 
  the 
  cultch 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  kept 
  clean; 
  secondly, 
  because 
  

   both 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  cultch 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  exposed 
  to 
  the 
  passing 
  fry 
  ; 
  thirdly, 
  because 
  the 
  

   fry 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  compelled 
  to 
  |)as3 
  over 
  and 
  amongst 
  the 
  cultch 
  repeatedly; 
  fourthly, 
  

   because 
  the 
  cultch 
  is 
  scattered 
  over 
  too 
  great 
  an 
  area 
  and 
  throughout 
  only 
  two 
  

   dimensions 
  of 
  a 
  body 
  of 
  water, 
  namely, 
  its 
  horizontal 
  extent, 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  possible, 
  as 
  

   I 
  have 
  sLowu 
  above, 
  to 
  do 
  all 
  this 
  and 
  more 
  — 
  that 
  is, 
  to 
  avail 
  ourselves 
  of 
  the 
  possi- 
  

  

  