﻿216 
  KKPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

   THE 
  CULTIVATION 
  OF 
  OYSTERS. 
  

  

  As 
  hdorc, 
  .stated, 
  plantinj,' 
  was 
  tried 
  exiHiriinentally 
  on 
  (he 
  iioitli 
  side 
  

   of 
  St. 
  Vincent 
  SouikI, 
  and 
  <'ii()iijili 
  was 
  <l()iie 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  to 
  show 
  that 
  

   it 
  could 
  be 
  made 
  a 
  (h'cided 
  success, 
  if 
  (he 
  laws 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  rej;aidin^ 
  

   phiutinj;- 
  could 
  he 
  (Miforced. 
  As 
  it 
  was, 
  no 
  jjioleciion 
  \vha(<'ver 
  was 
  

   given, 
  and 
  the 
  experiment 
  proved 
  uiisuceessful 
  for 
  tliat 
  reason. 
  The 
  

   Stale 
  hiws 
  protect 
  the 
  i)lanters, 
  but 
  there 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  no 
  attempt 
  to 
  

   enforce 
  (he 
  laws, 
  and 
  tlie 
  moral 
  sentiment 
  among 
  the 
  oysternien 
  is 
  not 
  

   in 
  favor 
  of 
  sueli 
  protection. 
  This 
  is 
  due 
  to 
  a 
  misunderstanding 
  of 
  the 
  

   subject 
  by 
  the 
  oystermen; 
  the 
  law 
  makes 
  a 
  distinction 
  between 
  the 
  

   cultivated 
  beds 
  and 
  natural 
  beds, 
  and 
  relates 
  wholly 
  to 
  the 
  cultivated 
  

   beds, 
  but 
  the 
  oystermen 
  have 
  th(^ 
  idea, 
  that 
  any 
  protection 
  given 
  the 
  

   planters 
  is 
  of 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  a 
  monopoly, 
  and 
  is 
  an 
  encroachment 
  on 
  

   tlieir 
  rights. 
  Of 
  course 
  such 
  is 
  not 
  the 
  case, 
  as 
  the 
  laws 
  protecting 
  

   |)lanteis 
  do 
  not 
  in 
  any 
  way 
  interfere 
  witli 
  oystering 
  as 
  now 
  carried 
  on 
  

   on 
  the 
  uatural 
  beds. 
  All 
  the 
  oyster 
  cultivation 
  would 
  be 
  carried 
  on 
  

   entirely 
  away 
  from 
  the 
  natural 
  beds, 
  and 
  in 
  some 
  cases 
  in 
  localities 
  

   (piite 
  remote 
  from 
  them. 
  The 
  chart 
  shows 
  exactly 
  where 
  oysters 
  may 
  

   be 
  cultivated, 
  and 
  any 
  intelligent 
  ])erson 
  by 
  using 
  a 
  com])ass 
  may 
  locate 
  

   himself 
  with 
  suthcient 
  accuracy 
  to 
  find 
  the 
  limits 
  of 
  the 
  i)lanting 
  ground 
  ; 
  

   iu 
  this 
  connec-tion 
  a 
  sounding 
  i)ole 
  mhII 
  be 
  of 
  great 
  assistance, 
  as 
  by 
  it 
  

   he 
  can 
  judge 
  of 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  bottom 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  depth 
  of 
  

   water. 
  l>y 
  closely 
  studying 
  the 
  limits 
  of 
  the 
  ])laiiting 
  area- 
  a 
  jxirson 
  

   can 
  select 
  certain 
  natural 
  ranges 
  which 
  will 
  hel[) 
  him 
  locate 
  himself. 
  

  

  The 
  whole 
  question 
  of 
  oyster 
  cultivation 
  is 
  of 
  the 
  greatest 
  importance 
  

   to 
  i\w 
  i)eople 
  of 
  A])alaehicola 
  and 
  vicinity, 
  as 
  undoubtedly, 
  if 
  the 
  law 
  is 
  

   enforced 
  and 
  the 
  planters 
  protected, 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  made 
  ai 
  great 
  industry, 
  

   and 
  it 
  is 
  only 
  necessary 
  to 
  cite 
  as 
  an 
  example 
  the 
  great 
  success 
  met 
  

   with 
  by 
  the 
  oyster 
  cultivators 
  of 
  Long 
  Island 
  Sound 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  show 
  

   what 
  a 
  great 
  business 
  may 
  be 
  developed. 
  But 
  first 
  the 
  oystermen 
  nuist 
  

   be 
  brought 
  to 
  a 
  realization 
  of 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  protection 
  of 
  oyster 
  cul- 
  

   tivation 
  does 
  not 
  in 
  any 
  way 
  infringe 
  u])on 
  their 
  rights, 
  and 
  that 
  on 
  the 
  

   contrary 
  it 
  is 
  directly 
  for 
  their 
  best 
  interests. 
  All 
  have 
  ecpial 
  rights, 
  

   and 
  any 
  man 
  Iniving 
  sufficient 
  thrift 
  and 
  energy 
  nuiy, 
  without 
  much 
  

   doubt, 
  better 
  his 
  condition 
  by 
  undertaking 
  the 
  cultivation 
  of 
  oysters 
  

   and 
  uniting 
  Avith 
  others 
  to 
  respect 
  the 
  laws. 
  

  

  The 
  cultivation 
  of 
  oysters 
  Avould 
  be 
  more 
  easy 
  on 
  accouni 
  of 
  (he 
  num- 
  

   ber 
  of 
  oyster 
  shells 
  brought 
  into 
  Apalachicola. 
  i>y 
  simply 
  spreading 
  

   these 
  shells 
  over 
  the 
  areas 
  of 
  planting 
  ground, 
  the 
  spat 
  would 
  attach 
  

   itself 
  to 
  (he 
  cultch, 
  and 
  only 
  a 
  little 
  care 
  in 
  cleaning 
  and 
  s[)reading 
  

   would 
  be 
  re((uired 
  to 
  form, 
  in 
  time, 
  a 
  productive 
  bed. 
  It 
  should 
  always 
  

   be 
  borne 
  in 
  mind, 
  as 
  lias 
  already 
  been 
  mentioned, 
  that 
  oysters 
  grow 
  and 
  

   thrive 
  nuich 
  better 
  in 
  a 
  current 
  than 
  in 
  still 
  water, 
  as 
  they 
  have 
  a 
  better 
  

   food 
  sui)ply. 
  [n 
  transplanting 
  the 
  clusters 
  should 
  be 
  broken 
  u]> 
  and 
  

   each 
  oyster 
  should 
  l)e 
  thoroughly 
  cleaned 
  of 
  barnacles 
  and 
  mussels. 
  

  

  