﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  CI 
  

  

  suits 
  were 
  obtained 
  were 
  pieces 
  of 
  mortar-coated 
  slate 
  placed 
  in 
  wire 
  

   trays 
  resting 
  on 
  trestles 
  about 
  8 
  inches 
  high. 
  Full 
  details 
  regarding 
  

   the 
  tides, 
  temperatures, 
  weather, 
  and 
  density 
  of 
  water 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  

   the 
  table 
  appended 
  to 
  Mr. 
  Havener's 
  report. 
  

  

  The 
  Gold 
  Spring 
  Harbor 
  Station. 
  — 
  At 
  this 
  station, 
  which 
  is 
  more 
  par- 
  

   ticularly 
  under 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  Mr. 
  E. 
  G. 
  Blackford, 
  representing 
  the 
  

   New 
  York 
  State 
  Commission. 
  Mr. 
  Mather 
  carried 
  on 
  some 
  very 
  success- 
  

   ful 
  experiments. 
  On 
  August 
  31 
  he 
  reported 
  that 
  he 
  had 
  used 
  a 
  wooden 
  

   tank 
  6 
  by 
  12 
  feet 
  containing 
  water 
  pumped 
  from 
  the 
  harbor 
  for 
  collect- 
  

   ing 
  spat 
  and 
  that 
  at 
  that 
  date 
  sets 
  on 
  shells 
  and 
  gravel, 
  four 
  weeks 
  old, 
  

   were 
  one 
  eighth 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  long. 
  

  

  Investigation 
  in 
  New 
  Yorli 
  waters. 
  — 
  From 
  the 
  15th 
  to 
  the 
  26th 
  of 
  Au- 
  

   gust 
  Mr. 
  E. 
  G. 
  Blackford 
  was 
  engaged 
  in 
  an 
  investigation 
  into 
  the 
  oys- 
  

   ter 
  fisheries 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  waters, 
  aided 
  by 
  the 
  steamer 
  Lookout, 
  during 
  

   which 
  time 
  seven 
  different 
  localities 
  were 
  visited. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  trip 
  was 
  to 
  the 
  eastern 
  end 
  of 
  Long 
  Island. 
  In 
  the 
  vicinity 
  

   of 
  Montauk 
  Point 
  the 
  ponds 
  were 
  found 
  to 
  contain 
  but 
  few 
  oysters 
  and 
  

   these 
  almost 
  without 
  flavor. 
  Near 
  Greenport 
  a 
  plan 
  was 
  in 
  operation 
  

   in 
  accordance 
  with 
  which 
  oysters 
  were 
  systematically 
  cultivated 
  by 
  in- 
  

   dividuals 
  and 
  companies, 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  seed 
  being 
  brought 
  from 
  Connecti- 
  

   cut. 
  The 
  most 
  serious 
  evil 
  against 
  which 
  the 
  planters 
  had 
  to 
  contend 
  

   was 
  the 
  starfish. 
  In 
  the 
  kills 
  emptying 
  into 
  New 
  York 
  Bay 
  it 
  was 
  

   found 
  that 
  much 
  damage 
  was 
  done 
  to 
  the 
  oysters 
  by 
  the 
  acid 
  and 
  oily 
  

   refuse 
  poured 
  iuto 
  the 
  waters 
  from 
  the 
  factories 
  along 
  the 
  shores 
  and 
  

   by 
  the 
  general 
  pollution 
  of 
  the 
  water. 
  The 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  oysters 
  at 
  

   Execution 
  Light-house 
  Rock 
  showed 
  a 
  considerable 
  improvement 
  over 
  

   that 
  of 
  last 
  year, 
  although 
  not 
  much 
  young 
  growth 
  was 
  found. 
  During 
  

   the 
  trip 
  up 
  the 
  Hudson 
  several 
  dredgings 
  were 
  made 
  on 
  the 
  different 
  

   beds, 
  generally 
  showing 
  them 
  to 
  be 
  in 
  a 
  fair 
  condition, 
  but 
  frequently 
  

   showing 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  green 
  coloration. 
  All 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  of 
  the 
  Hudson 
  

   are 
  worked 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  obtaining 
  seed 
  with 
  which 
  to 
  plant 
  other 
  

   beds, 
  as 
  these 
  oysters 
  do 
  not 
  fatten 
  well 
  until 
  transplanted, 
  though 
  

   many 
  are 
  used 
  for 
  local 
  consumption. 
  In 
  Port 
  Jefferson 
  Harbor 
  much 
  

   of 
  the 
  bottom 
  is 
  leased 
  and 
  cultivated 
  by 
  private 
  parties, 
  and 
  the 
  beds 
  

   are 
  generally 
  well 
  cared 
  for 
  and 
  in 
  good 
  condition, 
  the 
  growth 
  not 
  being- 
  

   great 
  but 
  the 
  quality 
  excellent. 
  Most 
  of 
  the 
  seed 
  in 
  the 
  harbor 
  comes 
  

   from 
  the 
  Connecticut 
  beds, 
  it 
  being 
  generally 
  from 
  one 
  to 
  three 
  years 
  

   old, 
  and 
  from 
  200 
  to 
  300 
  bushels 
  per 
  acre 
  being 
  used. 
  Outside 
  the 
  

   harbor 
  the 
  oysters 
  had 
  been 
  destroyed 
  by 
  starfish 
  or 
  some 
  other 
  enemy. 
  

   In 
  Prince's 
  Bay 
  and 
  its 
  vicinity 
  oysters 
  were 
  found 
  of 
  good 
  size 
  and 
  in 
  

   fair 
  number, 
  but 
  usually 
  thin 
  and 
  greenish 
  and 
  sometimes 
  of 
  unpleasant 
  

   flavor. 
  Much 
  damage 
  is 
  done 
  by 
  the 
  dredgings 
  and 
  the 
  dumping 
  of 
  

   refuse 
  over 
  or 
  in 
  the 
  neighborhood 
  of 
  the 
  oyster-beds. 
  In 
  the 
  face 
  of 
  

   such 
  difficulties, 
  the 
  propagation 
  of 
  the 
  oyster, 
  while 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  despaired 
  

   of, 
  must 
  be 
  a 
  patient 
  and 
  somewhat 
  unpromising 
  matter. 
  

  

  