﻿[27] 
  A 
  SYSTEM 
  OF 
  OYSTEE 
  CULTURE. 
  407 
  

  

  In 
  many 
  cases 
  the 
  cost 
  of 
  digging 
  out 
  the 
  proper 
  channels 
  or 
  canals 
  

   to 
  be 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  system 
  of 
  applying 
  the 
  cultch 
  in 
  concentrated 
  form, 
  

   would 
  be 
  greatly 
  diminished 
  by 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  ground 
  upon 
  which 
  

   the 
  canals 
  were 
  dug 
  out. 
  If 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  earth 
  is 
  not 
  much 
  above 
  

   that 
  of 
  high 
  water, 
  so 
  much 
  the 
  better, 
  for 
  then 
  the 
  labor 
  to 
  be 
  expended 
  

   in 
  mating 
  the 
  necessary 
  excavations 
  will 
  be 
  proportionally 
  diminished, 
  

   and 
  no 
  assistance 
  from 
  a 
  skilled 
  engineer 
  will 
  be 
  required. 
  

  

  Whether 
  the 
  spawning 
  pond 
  is 
  excavated 
  or 
  not, 
  the 
  principle 
  upon 
  

   which 
  the 
  system 
  is 
  constructed 
  and 
  operated 
  remains 
  the 
  same, 
  namely, 
  

   that 
  the 
  area 
  of 
  the 
  canal 
  systems 
  and 
  the 
  ponds 
  be 
  about 
  the 
  same. 
  

   In 
  order 
  that 
  the 
  fry 
  may 
  not 
  be 
  carried 
  past 
  the 
  collectors, 
  the 
  area 
  of 
  

   the 
  pond 
  should 
  not 
  much 
  exceed 
  the 
  total 
  area 
  of 
  the 
  canals. 
  In 
  order 
  

   that 
  the 
  fry 
  may 
  be 
  wafted 
  to 
  the 
  outermost 
  collectors, 
  the 
  area 
  of 
  the 
  

   canal 
  system 
  ought 
  not 
  to 
  greatly 
  exceed 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  pond 
  or 
  ponds. 
  

  

  Canals 
  constructed 
  between 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  spawning 
  ponds 
  may 
  also 
  be 
  

   utilized; 
  in 
  fact 
  a 
  great 
  many 
  other 
  modifications 
  of 
  the 
  system 
  are 
  

   available, 
  which 
  would 
  become 
  apparent 
  only 
  after 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  a 
  given 
  

   location. 
  The 
  plans 
  for 
  carrying 
  out 
  this 
  system 
  would 
  in 
  fact 
  have 
  

   to 
  conform 
  to 
  the 
  demands 
  of 
  the 
  location, 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  said 
  that 
  

   each 
  establishment 
  would 
  have 
  to 
  be 
  designed 
  in 
  conformity 
  with 
  local 
  

   conditions. 
  

  

  IX.— 
  Convenience 
  and 
  accessibility 
  of 
  the 
  system 
  at 
  all 
  

  

  STAGES 
  OF 
  THE 
  WORK. 
  

  

  No 
  system 
  of 
  spat 
  collecting 
  with 
  which 
  I 
  am 
  acquainted 
  can 
  be 
  so 
  

   conveniently 
  conducted 
  as 
  this 
  one. 
  The 
  cultch 
  at 
  every 
  stage 
  of 
  its 
  

   exposure 
  is 
  completely 
  under 
  control. 
  The 
  cultch, 
  with 
  its 
  catch 
  or 
  set 
  

   of 
  spat, 
  can 
  be 
  watched 
  and 
  conveniently 
  overhauled 
  without 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  

   boats, 
  dredges, 
  tongs, 
  or 
  rakes. 
  If 
  no 
  set 
  of 
  spat 
  should 
  happen 
  to 
  fall 
  

   upon 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  eulteh, 
  that 
  portion 
  is 
  not 
  out 
  of 
  reach, 
  as 
  a 
  great 
  

   part 
  of 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  were 
  it 
  simply 
  strewn 
  upon 
  the 
  bottom. 
  In 
  the 
  latter 
  

   case, 
  if 
  the 
  cultch 
  is 
  wanted, 
  or 
  if 
  it 
  is 
  desired 
  to 
  make 
  it 
  again 
  available 
  

   somewhere 
  else, 
  it 
  must 
  be 
  fished 
  up. 
  In 
  my 
  system 
  every 
  3 
  bushels 
  of 
  

   cultch 
  is 
  completely 
  independent 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  rest, 
  and 
  can 
  be 
  removed 
  from 
  

   the 
  canal 
  and 
  examined 
  at 
  any 
  stage 
  of 
  its 
  exposure 
  to 
  the 
  floating 
  fry. 
  

  

  The 
  filled 
  receptacles 
  can 
  be 
  wheeled 
  with 
  barrows 
  to 
  the 
  canals, 
  where 
  

   they 
  can 
  be 
  rapidly 
  put 
  in 
  position, 
  where 
  they 
  are 
  to 
  remain 
  for 
  ninety 
  

   days. 
  If 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  shells 
  should 
  not 
  have 
  spat 
  attached 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  

   that 
  time, 
  those 
  which 
  have 
  no 
  set 
  upon 
  them 
  can 
  be 
  thrown 
  aside 
  to 
  be 
  

   used 
  over 
  again, 
  and 
  the 
  others 
  taken 
  in 
  wheelbarrows 
  to 
  the 
  boats, 
  

   from 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  at 
  once 
  scattered 
  upon 
  new 
  beds 
  as 
  seed. 
  

  

  Should 
  any 
  collector 
  full 
  of 
  eulteh 
  get 
  out 
  of 
  order, 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  readily 
  

   examined, 
  removed, 
  and 
  repaired. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  need 
  of 
  getting 
  into 
  an 
  

   unsteady 
  boat 
  t'o 
  go 
  out 
  to 
  lift 
  an 
  unwieldy 
  collector 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  water. 
  

   Filling, 
  emptying, 
  and 
  cuing 
  lor 
  the 
  collectors 
  is 
  entirely 
  conducted 
  on 
  

   shore 
  in 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  the 
  new 
  system. 
  Operating 
  and 
  handling 
  them 
  is 
  

  

  