﻿[7] 
  OYSTER 
  INVESTIGATION 
  WITH 
  LOOKOUT 
  163 
  

  

  found 
  it 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  an 
  average 
  temperature 
  of 
  73J°, 
  and 
  a 
  density 
  on 
  the 
  

   young 
  ilood 
  of 
  1.0196. 
  Outside 
  of 
  the 
  harbor 
  we 
  found 
  the 
  temperature 
  

   to 
  be 
  73° 
  and 
  the 
  density 
  1.020. 
  We 
  dredged 
  for 
  some 
  time 
  outside 
  

   the 
  harbor 
  in 
  5 
  to 
  G 
  fathoms 
  of 
  water 
  on 
  bottom 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  shelled 
  

   two 
  years 
  ago, 
  but 
  we 
  obtained 
  only 
  shells, 
  the 
  oysters 
  having 
  been 
  

   entirely 
  destroyed 
  by 
  the 
  stars, 
  or 
  at 
  least 
  the 
  starfish 
  got 
  the 
  bene- 
  

   fit 
  of 
  any 
  doubt 
  there 
  might 
  have 
  been 
  in 
  the 
  matter. 
  

  

  Prince's 
  Bay.— 
  On 
  the 
  2Gth 
  we 
  made 
  a 
  visit 
  with 
  Mr. 
  Van 
  Pelt 
  as 
  

   pilot 
  to 
  the 
  beds 
  along 
  the 
  Long 
  Island 
  shore 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  Bay, 
  and 
  to 
  

   those 
  along 
  the 
  southeastern 
  shore 
  of 
  Staten 
  Island. 
  On 
  account 
  of 
  

   the 
  unfavorable 
  weather 
  we 
  did 
  not 
  make 
  so 
  many 
  dredgings 
  as 
  we 
  

   should 
  have 
  done 
  had 
  the 
  weather 
  been 
  pleasant. 
  Near 
  Owl's 
  Head 
  

   Landing, 
  just 
  off 
  from 
  Bay 
  Bidge, 
  Long 
  Island, 
  we 
  found 
  the 
  tempera- 
  

   ture 
  of 
  the 
  water, 
  at 
  half 
  ebb, 
  to 
  be 
  75°, 
  and 
  of 
  a 
  density 
  of 
  1.010. 
  The 
  

   oysters 
  obtained 
  were 
  of 
  good 
  size 
  and 
  in 
  fair 
  number, 
  but 
  they 
  were 
  all 
  

   thin 
  and 
  green, 
  and 
  the 
  shells 
  were 
  quite 
  slimy. 
  There 
  were 
  a 
  good 
  many 
  

   old 
  shells, 
  and 
  some 
  of 
  last 
  season's 
  set. 
  There 
  was 
  also 
  some 
  refuse 
  ma- 
  

   terial, 
  but 
  not 
  of 
  any 
  account. 
  The 
  bed 
  here 
  was 
  dredged 
  in 
  2A 
  fathoms 
  

   of 
  water, 
  and 
  used 
  to 
  be 
  quite 
  prolific. 
  If 
  properly 
  cared 
  for, 
  it 
  would 
  

   now 
  undoubtedly 
  furnish 
  a 
  good 
  many 
  oysters 
  for 
  planting. 
  In 
  the 
  edge 
  

   of 
  the 
  channel 
  near 
  the 
  Narrows, 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  Swash 
  Channel, 
  in 
  2 
  

   fathoms 
  of 
  water, 
  we 
  obtained 
  some 
  good-sized 
  oysters, 
  but 
  they 
  were 
  not 
  

   very 
  abundant 
  nor 
  very 
  thrifty. 
  Like 
  those 
  at 
  Owl's 
  Head 
  they 
  were 
  

   thin 
  and 
  green, 
  and 
  the 
  shells 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  green 
  slime. 
  There 
  was 
  

   also 
  considerable 
  refuse 
  material, 
  showing 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  more 
  dumping 
  

   here 
  than 
  along 
  certain 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  Long 
  Island 
  shore. 
  In 
  Prince's 
  

   Bay 
  the 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  75°, 
  and 
  the 
  density 
  

   on 
  the 
  latter 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  ebb 
  1.017. 
  A 
  number 
  of 
  dredgings 
  were 
  

   made 
  on 
  different 
  planted 
  beds, 
  and 
  the 
  oysters 
  were 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  gener- 
  

   ally 
  in 
  fair 
  condition, 
  although 
  in 
  many 
  cases 
  the 
  flavor 
  was 
  not 
  pleasant. 
  

   In 
  the 
  region 
  where 
  dredging 
  is 
  being 
  carried 
  on 
  to 
  widen 
  and 
  deepen 
  

   the 
  channel 
  into 
  Raritan 
  Bay, 
  we 
  found 
  that 
  a 
  good 
  deal 
  of 
  damage 
  

   had 
  been 
  done 
  by 
  the 
  mud, 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  stirred 
  up 
  from 
  the 
  bottom, 
  

   spreading 
  out 
  and 
  settling 
  over 
  the 
  planted 
  oysters. 
  In 
  some 
  instances, 
  

   at 
  least, 
  the 
  dredgings, 
  instead 
  of 
  being 
  carried 
  out 
  to 
  sea, 
  as 
  they 
  

   should 
  be, 
  have 
  been 
  dumped 
  upon 
  the 
  planted 
  territory, 
  causing 
  con- 
  

   siderable 
  damage 
  by 
  burying 
  and 
  thus 
  smothering 
  the 
  oysters. 
  The 
  

   dredge, 
  when 
  thrown 
  down 
  over 
  these 
  old 
  beds, 
  is 
  soon 
  filled 
  with 
  a 
  

   filthy 
  mass 
  of 
  black 
  mud, 
  in 
  many 
  instances 
  smelling 
  quite 
  strongly 
  of 
  

   kerosene. 
  The 
  beds 
  in 
  this 
  neighborhood, 
  when 
  undisturbed 
  by 
  these 
  

   dredgings, 
  are 
  well 
  cared 
  for 
  and 
  profitable 
  ; 
  but 
  each 
  season 
  the 
  flavor 
  

   of 
  the 
  oysters 
  is 
  getting 
  poorer 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  increase 
  of 
  filth 
  and 
  

   waste 
  matters 
  which 
  are 
  thrown 
  into 
  the 
  bay. 
  

  

  NEW 
  York, 
  N. 
  Y., 
  September 
  28, 
  1885. 
  

  

  