322 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



bushel at wliolcsale. The aiinual production of this stock amounts to 2,000 bushels. The only 

 <?nemy of the oyster here is the drill; but this is sadly abundant. 



"To recapitulate, Clinton produces annually, of southern plants, about 8,000 bushels; of Con- 

 necticut plants, about 2,000 bushels; of native oysters, about 1,000 bushels; total 11,000 bushels. 



"The total investment here, which at present will not exceed $1,0,000, is divided among about 

 fifteen planters, and affords a partial livelihood for perhaps a score of families. 



MADISON TO EAST HAVEN. At Madison there is a menhaden oil factory, with a capital of 

 sibout $8,000 invested iu four vessels of 53.22 tons, buildings, and apparatus for capturing and pre- 

 paring the fish. Another factory, located at Guilford, employs about $35,000 invested in buildings 

 and fixtures, and seventeen vessels of 329.79 tons, valued at about $25,000. 



The oyster interests of this region are thus reported by Mr. Ingersoll : 



"The bottom of the margin of the sound off the villages of Madison and East River has been 

 staked off to a considerable extent, but is utilized by only one firm of oyster producers. Mr. Elihu 

 Kelsey has kindly reported to me, by letter, upon the extent of their operations. Their beds con- 

 sist of 6 acres or more, and are near a small island called Overshore. This area is protected on its 

 southern side by high reefs of rocks. They have a second bed of about 12 acres extent a mile and 

 a half eastward, near Tufas Island, in 20 feet of water, with hard, sandy bottom, where they are 

 experimenting. They also own a third bed near Guilford Harbor of 24 acres, on which they have 

 spread '2,000 bushels of shells and a good many small stones, on which the oysters "set" and grew 

 for four years, and were the best in the world; but the water is too shoal without artificial protection, 

 and the storms and thieves have ruined the bed.' As not enough 'set' is caught upon the stools, 

 a thousand bushels or so of seed-oysters are annually raked from the natural beds in the vicinity 

 of East River, or bought from dealers in Stony Creek and New Haven, and planted upon the beds. 

 These various beds yielded, during 1879, about 1,200 bushels, the most of which were sold in the 

 shell at $1 to $1.50 per bushel. For opened oysters $1.60 a gallon was received. No southern 

 oysters were handled in any shape. In respect to the drawbacks and general condition of the 

 business at East River, Mr. Kelsey writes: 'The first drawback to success is the lack of good pro- 

 tection from storms, which might be remedied by the construction of a breakwater. The second 

 is the constant alteration of the State laws designed to protect the industry. The third drawback 

 is thieving. The present condition of our producing-beds is good, and the prospect is that with 

 plenty of hard labor our venture will be remunerative. We find the character of the soil to be of 

 the greatest importance. On our producing-bed the mineral ingredient of the soil is iron. This 

 renders the oysters healthy and of the finest flavor, so that our customers say they cannot be 

 excelled.' 



''At Guilford some inshore ground is cultivated, but this is not of great capacity. Outside, 

 west of Goose Island, they have improved about 160 acres iu water from 7 to 10 fathoms deep, 

 upon a hard, sandy bottom. This outer tract has not as yet had time to yield much. The spread- 

 ing of shells in the hope of catching spawn appears futile, for the sufficient reason that there are 

 uo living oysters in the vicinity to produce the spat. A large quantity of seed has therefore been 

 placed on this area. This seed was procured partly in the Guilford River, although there is great 

 opposition to its being taken, and has largely been bought in the western part of the State. 

 Besides this, several hundred bushels of large-size oysters have been scattered among the planted 

 shells to produce the spawn which it is desired to catch. A small set has already been obtained, 

 and next year some harvest will begin. 



"The oysters heretofore and at present obtained at Guilford, from the artificial inshore beds 

 which have been in existence for thirty years, are of large size and fine shape. Their flavor is 



