BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



The oyster catch of Maryland and contiguous waters has in the past decade 

 shrunk to about half of what it once was, but the steadily increasing population of 

 this country and the consequent increased use of oysters, together with the decreasing 

 yieM of Chesapeake oysters, have of late years resulted in creating a demand from 

 other fields; so Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, and especially Florida, Mississippi, 

 and Louisiana, have come into prominence in this industry. There was a time in the 

 history of the oyster trade of the Chesapeake when the catch was so considerable 

 that the oyster-canning plants of Baltimore were really the salvation of prices to the 

 oyster shippers and dredgers. Such is the case no longer, as Baltimore has now 

 numerous competitors, not only in raw, but cove oysters, and not only in Maryland 

 and Virginia, but in all the Southern States that border on the Atlantic and (lulf. I 

 think that no State south of North Carolina has been more successful in this respect 

 than Mississippi and Florida. The Mississippi oysters from Biloxi and those from 

 Louisiana seem in a fair way to take possession of the western markets along the 

 Mississippi River. Chicago has become especially interested. The sounds and bayous 

 that border on the American coast all the way to the mouth of the Rio Grande are 

 more or Jess productive of oysters, but many of them are of so delicate a nature, on 

 account of the warmth of the water, that when steamed they seem to evaporate, and 

 the shells in some cases are so soft and thin that they will not stand transportation. 

 Where oysters grow naturally in localities which are favorable as regards salinity, 

 lime, warmth of water, and abundance of food, the flavor and firmness are finer than 

 when they have to be changed, and this is the spot on which to transplant and which 

 should be cultivated. 



There is nothing of interest, as I understand, to be said of the Pacific coast in 

 respect to oysters other than that already spoken of; but some authorities say that 

 excellent oysters are found on the coast of Bering Sea, so that at no far distant day 

 Alaska besides her gold and salmon may yet become the oyster region of that great 

 Northwest. 



Oysters are commonly believed to be unfit for food except in the months contain- 

 ing the letter R. This comes from the idea and the fact also that it is usual to find 

 most oysters in spawn from May to September. As a matter of fact, oysters spawn 

 at different times on different beds, according to the depth and temperature of the 

 water. In deep water the temperature is less, hence the 'spawning begins later in 

 summer and ends later in fall. On the other hand, the shoaler or warmer the water, 

 the earlier the spawning takes place. Although wholesome oysters can almost always 

 be found at some point from May to September, yet it is safest to be governed by this 

 direction of the"R." 



NATURE AND GROWTH OF THE OYSTER. 



This palatable and nutritious animal, while apparently very simple, has a complex 

 anatomical structure, manifestly a beautiful adaptation to the creature's necessities. 

 There is no certain method of telling the a'ge of an oyster from its appearance, but it 

 can be approximated quite closely by those accustomed to handling them. It is said 

 that they have been found twenty years old. Dr. W. K. Brooks, of the Johns Hopkins 

 University, of Baltimore, and the late Professor Ryder, of the United States l-'i>h 

 Commission, are recognized authorities in the United States whose researches as to 

 the anatomy and physiology of the oyster are accepted and followed by those 

 interested in the propagation or culture of this bivalve. Their observations and 



