'290 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



yet completed and tested. If it sbould succeed, a large i>ew territory will be added to the oyster- 

 grounds of tbe State. 



PAWCATUCK RIVER. The Pawcatuck River divides the State of Connecticut from Rhode 

 Island, and is subject to tides as far up as Westerly, at least. From a mile below Westerly to its 

 mouth it is inhabited by oysters, though of poor quality, and hence of small commercial impor- 

 tance. These are of two sorts: one kind, the "rock oyster," attaches itself to the rocks along the 

 shores and in the bottom of the stream, and grows singly to a good size; the other, called the 

 "bed oyster," grows in dense clusters, in crowded beds, and is of very small size; it is rarely 

 brought to market, and is considered by the fishermen worthless to transplant on account of the 

 clustered condition. Sufficient painstaking in the matter would, of course, overcome this objec- 

 tion. For some years the oysters of all kinds in this river have been affected by a disease which 

 interferes with their sale, because, whether for good reason or not, they arc supposed to' be 

 unwholesome. The disease was described to me as producing little "boils" on the body, inside 

 the mantle, as near as I could understand. It appeared first as a greenish spot, then became 

 yellow, and finally turned into a black, rotten pustule. Various causes are assigned, but none are 

 satisfactory. Dry seasons, like the present, seem to augment the disease, which is perhaps a 

 fungoid growth that finally " eats out a hole," as the fishermen say, and it is not essentially different 

 from the " greenness " of Somerset and Seekonk oysters. 



A large set occurs regularly in this river, but in some years to a greater extent than in others. 

 Three years ago was said to be an exceedingly productive year. Young oysters were found upon 

 everything all through the river, and upon some rocky points down toward the mouth they were 

 said to have been seen lying on the shore "in windrows a foot deep." This is an exaggeration, no 

 doubt, but gives evidence that there was a vast quantity. This was immediately following a 

 dredging-out of the channel. Nothing of any account was done toward saving them to stock beds 

 anywhere. Pawcatuck River is not considered suitable for oyster-bedding to any extent, unless 

 the ground should first be prepared by paving the mud and killing out the eel-grass. There are 

 many impurities in the water, also, arising from drainage and the waste of many mills, print-works, 

 and other manufactories. In Ward's Pond, on the contrary, a sheet of water affected by the tides, 

 which lies four miles east of Westerly, is found a most excellent place for oysters, wild and culti- 

 vated, but the people who inhabit the shores do little themselves and object to attempts on the 

 part of outsiders. This pond contains between one and two hundred acres, and is nearly every 

 where gravelly or sandy on the bottom, with considerable fresh water flowing in. I was told that 

 nowhere in this whole region did oysters grow so fast, and acquire so fine a relish as here, but not 

 having inspected the pond myself I cannot corroborate these glowing reports by personal obser- 

 vations. 



The total area of pre-empted oyster-grounds in Rhode Island in 1879 was 962 acres, and it is 

 probable that as much more ground might be found suited to oyster- plan ting. 



94. BUSINESS IN SOUTHERN, NATIVE, AND SEED OYSTERS. 



SOUTHERN OYSTERS. Thus far the bedding and fattening of Virginia oysters, mainly to be 

 sold opened, has been the most profitable branch of the business. Of these oysters about 500,000 

 bushels are laid down annually, at present. The vessels employed in bringing them are mainly 

 owned on Cape Cod. None, so far as I could learn, hail from Rhode Island ports. Tbe freight is 

 about 15 cents a bushel in the fall and winter, falling to 12 and 10 cents in the spring, when quicker 

 voyages for planting purposes can be made. What part of the Chesapeake Bay furnishes the best 



