XIV. -REPORT OF OPERATIONS AT SAINT JEROME STATION 



FOR 1884. 



ByW.-DKC, Ravenkl, 



Owins to ice in the Potomac River 1 did uot get to Saint Jerome 

 Station until the middle of February, and after staying a few days to 

 make an examination of the ])hice and ])roi)erty I leturned to Wasli- 

 ingtou and made a requisition for all articles that would be needed to 

 carry on the station and for the tools to construct the ponds necessary 

 for oyster culture. On the first of March I took permanent charge of 

 the station and took an inventory of all proi)erty belonging thereto. 



Owing to the severity of the weather I could not begin work iuune- 

 diately, but on the 10th of March s-:icceede(l in getting two laborers 

 and commenced rolling away the sand bank that had been thrown on 

 the marsh by the dredge, and built a bank at the end of the marsli to 

 keej) out the tide. On the 24th of same month T imu-eased the 

 force to six men and began to dig out the ponds, but 1 made very slow 

 progress, for water soaked through the banks during every tide, and 

 I had frequently to stop digging to bail out the water, thus losing a 

 part of every day. Believing that it would expedite the work, I ])ut 

 down one of the j3umes, so that the water that soaked through the 

 banks would ebb with the tide, but the flumes had been left out in the 

 weather and the doors became so badly warped that it did more harm 

 than good. I then determined to nail down the doors, and contiimed 

 to bail out the water every morning, Anally comi)leting the first pon<l 

 on the 5th of April. I now increased the force to ten men, and hired 

 a carpenter to fit the doors to the flumes, that they might assist me in 

 digging the other ponds. 



The work now progressed more rapidly, and on the lOth of May 1 

 had four ponds completed and ready to receive the oyster s[)awn. In 

 Jnue, for further experimental purposes, I dug a small pond at the head 

 of the canal. The dimensions of the i)onds are as follows : 



First, 54 by 58 by 3 feet; second, 50 by 58 by 3 feet; third, 55 by (JS 

 by 3 feet; fourth, 50 by 08 by 3 feet; fifth, 15 by 34 by 3 feet. All of 

 them with an average depth of 3 feet at high water. 



The i)onds are inclosed by banks, the Avater from the canal being al- 

 lowed to ebb and flow through the flumes, which are constructed Avith 



[ij m 



H. Mis. 68 14 



