792 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [40] 
the ground, enabling a free virculation of water. Four stakes, P P, Fig.9, 
are then driven into the ground, one along the middle of each face of the 
box, so as to prevent any swaying or change of position, by the action of 
the waves and currents, and maintain the apparatus in the same position. 
The cover isthen removed, and sixty mother oysters are deposited upon 
that portion of the soil circumscribed by the box, care being taken, if the 
soil is soft or muddy, to cover it previously with empty shells, so that the 
oyster, when placed there, may not become covered up but always remain 
in pure water. This done, the two lower stringers, SS, are placed in 
position, and upon them two frames (Fig. 10), are arranged, which are 
treated the same as the bottom; that is, a layer of shells is first placed 
upon them, and then a certain number of mother oysters above and 
over the shells. The second set of stringers is then placed in position, 
the frames arranged as before, and the oysters distributed over them, 
and, finally, the third set of stringers and frames are arranged and coy- 
ered with shells (Fig. 11), but no oysters are placed upon them. The 
cover is then placed upon the box and fastened down by means of the 
top bar and the wedges, C, which fasten the ends of the bar in the sock- 
ets of the end posts, and render the whole apparatus solid and immoy- 
able. The apparatus being thus prepared, it is easy to conjecture the 
result. The oysters, under such excellent conditions of existence and in 
such pure and quiet water, soon spawn; the young growth, finding itself 
imprisoned, or nearly so, in the various compartments of the box, and 
coming upon suitable places of attachment near at hand, remain in the 
box and dispose themselves nearly everywhere, but from preference 
upon the shells covering the frames, and proceed in their development 
under the best possible conditions and protected from all danger. In 
from five to six months the young oysters have attained such a size that 
they can be removed without danger. The apparatus is then taken apart 
piece by piece, commencing with the cover, and as each tray is removed 
its contents are deposited upon the bottom of a park, live-pond, 
claire, or such place as one wishes to restock or supply. If it is desired 
to carry them to a distance the trays can be placed in a floating box 
pierced with holes, and if arranged in layers, like shelves, and with sea- 
weed packed between them, so as to prevent the disturbance and shaking 
incident to movement in the water, they can be towed for long distances 
without danger of injuring the shells of the young oysters or detaching 
them from their supports. And if the trays are packed in boxes with wet 
sea-weed between them they can be transported by land very nicely. 
For one who has limited means at his disposal, and when labor and ex- 
pense is an important consideration, the box collector ought by all means 
to be given the preference; by the ingenious method of multiplying 
surfaces, which is its distinctive feature, innumerable germs can be 
hatched out in a very restricted space. A small case of a few square 
meters in area, a Small artificial basin which can be filled at each tide, 
and a narrow passage-way between two rocks, is amply sufficient for 
