CIVIC rUUl5LEM.S iiELATkNii TtJ .MnLJ.USRS liTo 



while they evidently find food and coiiditioiis generally favorable to 

 growth, there has been ditiiculty in getting them to spawn. It is 

 claimed that they have now become acclimated and are spawning 

 freely in some of the inlets of the ^^'ashingt()ll coast. It this is true, 

 such oysters ought to be used exclusively for seeding ull a\ aihible coves 

 of the Pacific coast, which are few at best. To usi; them otherwise, 

 until this is done, would be monumental foHv. I'acitic-coast schools 

 should give special attention to this proith'in. 



Oatrea edulis is the native oyster of the European Atlantic, and, like 

 0. lurirld, is herma[>hroditic, while (K rlrf/inica is bisexual. For a nnn- 

 munity interested in oyster culture a good to[)ic would be a comparison 



Fig. 124. Ostrea virglnlca 



Left, old shell covered with yoniii; oysters: middlo. shells of four hw^r specimens 

 about G iuelies long; right, shell uf an old oyster riddled l»y borinir sjionucs 



of local with European methods. Possibly France has attained nearest 

 to 100 per cent efficiency in the use of her available oyster beds. The 

 French attend not only to the rearing of the oysters but to the j»ropa- 

 gation of certain kinds of alg;e which impart desired colors an<l flavors 

 to the finished ])roduct. 



The civic ju-oblem which must be solveil by tlie rising generation is 

 that of develoi)inu' the oyster industry to as near 100 ]>ercent efficiencv 

 as possible. ^lueh as we have already done in this direction, probably 

 not more than '2 per cent of the possible production of American waters 

 has been attained. How we can develop to 100 per cent efficiency in 

 each community is the [»roblem for each community to solve. 



Sea mussels — Mytilus edulis (and other species). The range of MiilUu:i 

 is ciicuiiipolar, fringing the iioitlicrn coasts from .Taj>an around to the 



