﻿[35] 
  A 
  SYSTEM 
  OF 
  OYSTER 
  CULTURE. 
  415 
  

  

  there 
  was 
  no 
  'set,' 
  but 
  on 
  the 
  shells 
  and 
  gravel 
  on 
  the 
  bottom 
  many 
  

   were 
  caught. 
  The 
  temperature 
  in 
  the 
  tank 
  ranged, 
  from 
  July 
  8 
  to 
  Au- 
  

   gust 
  31, 
  from 
  09° 
  to 
  73° 
  Fahr., 
  standing 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  time 
  about 
  71°, 
  

   the 
  density 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  being 
  from 
  1.017 
  to 
  1.020, 
  and 
  standing 
  

   steadily 
  at 
  the 
  latter 
  figure 
  from 
  July 
  18 
  to 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  seasou 
  

   named. 
  At 
  that 
  time, 
  September 
  1, 
  it 
  was 
  necessary 
  to 
  remove 
  the 
  

   pipes, 
  clean 
  and 
  tar 
  them 
  for 
  the 
  coming 
  work 
  with 
  cod 
  eggs, 
  and 
  the 
  

   young 
  oysters 
  were 
  removed 
  from 
  the 
  great 
  pond 
  mentioned 
  below. 
  

   They 
  were 
  then 
  one-fourth 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  in 
  diameter. 
  

  

  " 
  The 
  other 
  trial 
  was 
  made 
  in 
  our 
  large 
  salt-water 
  pond, 
  which 
  has 
  a 
  

   large 
  flood-gate 
  to 
  hold 
  the 
  water 
  at 
  low 
  tide, 
  and 
  from 
  which 
  we 
  pump. 
  

   This 
  pond 
  is 
  some 
  280 
  feet 
  long, 
  125 
  feet 
  wide, 
  and 
  a,bout 
  4 
  feet 
  deep. 
  

   Ten 
  bushels 
  of 
  scallop 
  (Pecten) 
  shells 
  were 
  spread 
  on 
  the 
  bottom 
  and 
  

   hung 
  on 
  strings. 
  The 
  swimming 
  spat 
  was 
  put 
  in 
  at 
  the 
  flood-gate 
  

   while 
  the 
  tide 
  was 
  flowing 
  in, 
  and 
  thus 
  scattered 
  over 
  the 
  pond. 
  On 
  

   September 
  19 
  the 
  pond 
  was 
  drawn 
  down 
  and 
  a 
  splendid 
  'set' 
  was 
  visi- 
  

   ble, 
  both 
  on 
  the 
  bottom 
  shells 
  and 
  also 
  on 
  those 
  suspended. 
  On 
  the 
  

   latter 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  set 
  as 
  high 
  as 
  three 
  feet 
  from 
  the 
  bottom, 
  but 
  the 
  

   lower 
  ones 
  showed 
  more 
  specimens. 
  The 
  following 
  is 
  from 
  the 
  journal 
  

   kept 
  by 
  my 
  foreman, 
  Mr. 
  F. 
  A. 
  Walters 
  : 
  

  

  ul 
  JuIy 
  1. 
  — 
  Received 
  first 
  lot 
  of 
  oysters; 
  opened 
  1 
  bushel; 
  found 
  17 
  

   ripe 
  females 
  and 
  1 
  ripe 
  male; 
  took 
  spawn 
  from 
  these. 
  After 
  9 
  hours, 
  

   as 
  there 
  was 
  no 
  sign 
  of 
  life, 
  considered 
  not 
  good. 
  

  

  "'July 
  4. 
  — 
  From 
  one-half 
  bushel, 
  9 
  females 
  and 
  3 
  males; 
  milt 
  not 
  act- 
  

   ive; 
  no 
  sign 
  of 
  life 
  after 
  10 
  hours. 
  

  

  Ui 
  July5. 
  — 
  From 
  one-half 
  bushel, 
  11 
  females, 
  1 
  male. 
  Three 
  hours 
  

   after 
  taking 
  spawn 
  young 
  were 
  swimming 
  ; 
  put 
  in 
  tank. 
  

  

  11 
  'July 
  9. 
  — 
  Put 
  in 
  tank 
  3 
  pans 
  of 
  spawn. 
  

  

  Ui 
  July 
  10. 
  — 
  From 
  200 
  oysters, 
  175 
  were 
  ripe 
  females, 
  18 
  not 
  spawning^ 
  

   and 
  7 
  partly 
  ripe 
  males 
  ; 
  had 
  to 
  lose 
  all. 
  

  

  lii 
  July 
  11. 
  — 
  From 
  80 
  oysters, 
  60 
  ripe 
  females, 
  4 
  unripe 
  males, 
  and 
  10 
  

   not 
  spawning. 
  

  

  "'July 
  14. 
  — 
  Cleaned 
  tank. 
  

  

  "■'July 
  16. 
  — 
  Ground 
  gate 
  of 
  salt 
  pond 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  taken 
  out, 
  owing 
  to 
  a 
  

   leak. 
  Poor 
  tides 
  followed 
  ; 
  pond 
  did 
  not 
  fill 
  for 
  five 
  days; 
  could 
  not 
  

   pump, 
  and 
  consequently 
  no 
  circulation 
  in 
  tank 
  for 
  that 
  time. 
  

  

  " 
  ' 
  July 
  20. 
  — 
  Opened 
  70 
  oysters 
  ; 
  found 
  20 
  ripe 
  males, 
  30 
  females, 
  and 
  

   20 
  not 
  spawning. 
  Took 
  2 
  pans 
  of 
  spawn 
  at 
  10.20 
  a. 
  m. 
  ; 
  swimming 
  at 
  

   2 
  p. 
  m. 
  ; 
  put 
  in 
  salt 
  pond. 
  

  

  "'July 
  22. 
  — 
  Put 
  spawn 
  from 
  200 
  in 
  salt 
  pond. 
  

  

  "'July 
  26. 
  — 
  Cleaned 
  tank; 
  could 
  find 
  no 
  set. 
  

  

  "'July 
  28. 
  — 
  Put 
  in 
  pond 
  4 
  pans 
  of 
  spawn 
  in 
  good 
  order. 
  

  

  " 
  'July 
  31. 
  — 
  Put 
  in 
  tank 
  4 
  pans 
  of 
  spawn, 
  the 
  best 
  lot 
  taken. 
  

  

  "' 
  August 
  11. 
  — 
  Cleaned 
  tank, 
  and 
  put 
  in 
  spawn 
  from 
  1 
  bushel 
  of 
  oys- 
  

   ters. 
  

  

  " 
  ' 
  August 
  20. 
  — 
  Discovered 
  set 
  in 
  tank. 
  

  

  