210 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. ' [2] 



automatic gates, allowing one to hold the water in the pouds or not as 

 is desired. In digging the i)onds I used the ordinary spade and shovel, 

 and the dirt was rolled away in wheelbarrows across the canal. The 

 average cost of the ponds was $97, but under ordinary circumstances 

 they would cost much less, with greater facilities for bailing and a 

 shorter distance to roll the earth. 



The tools and wheelbarrows sent me were very inferior, most of them 

 being useless after one month's use. I had the grounds around the 

 cottage plowed and seeded with clover, but it was too late in the season 

 and it did not grow as it should, so 1 plowed it up and planted the 

 common cow-pea both for the purpose of enriching the soil and putting 

 the laud in order. 



On the 25th of May Mr. George Tolbert was detailed for duty at the 

 station to assist me in work on the oyster, and to complete the east and 

 west rooms in the cottage, bringing with him lumber, lining, and other 

 articles necessary to complete the work. He made examinations of 

 oysters from the lower ponds belonging to the station, and also from 

 the bay and creek, but found the season not advanced sufficiently to 

 commence operations. On the 8th of June the Lookout arrived here, 

 bringing steam launch No. 68 and crew of three men. 



On the 10th of June Mr. John A. Eyder came down and stayed sev- 

 eral days, giving me practical instruction in taking the oyster spawn 

 and instructing me in the use of the microscope in order to mark the 

 development of the young oyster. He examined numbers of oysters 

 from the adjacent waters, but did not think the season sufficiently ad- 

 vanced to commence work on them regularly for two weeks or more, 

 but reported everything at the station in good condition for work and 

 suggested that I be furnished with salinometers to test the density of 

 water in the ponds, as on that depended in a large measure the success 

 of our experiments. About the 25th of June we commenced to take the 

 sjjawn regularly, though the oysters were not in full season until the 

 1st of July, when we had no difficulty in getting as many ripe ones as 

 we needed. Si)awn was taken in the manner adopted and used by Mr. 

 Ryder at Ohincoteague Bay. The spawn was extracted from the 

 glands of the oyster with a medicine droi)per or pipette, and placed in 

 a small vessel of sea water, where it remained until fertilization took 

 place, and the oyster was in its swimming state. (This varied with the 

 weather, taking from two to four hours as the weather was warm or 

 cool.) When they arrived at the swimming state they were imt into 

 the ponds. The ponds were numbered 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, and I generally 

 l>ut the spawn in the same pond for two consecutive days, and stocked 

 the ponds in regular rotation, putting down fresh collectors each time. 

 Six different kinds of collectors were used: First. Tile, slate, and 

 shingles covered with mortar. Second. Tile and slate without mortar. 

 Third. Oyster-shells strung on galvanized wire and susj)ended from 

 stakes driven in the ponds Fourth. Fagots tied in bundles and placed 



