CONNECTICUT: NEW HAVEN AND VICINITY. 331 



and of small account. When the general oyster statutes were passed, Orange at ouce acted under 

 them, but delegated to its selectmen the powers of an oyster committee instead of erecting a second 

 board, as was done in all the other towns. This arrangement has been found to work very well. 

 The first designation was made in April, 1SG4. and all the suitable ground in West River and in 

 the harbor was soon set apart, amounting to about 45 acres. Mr. Samuel Smith, chairman of the 

 selectnien, tells me that nothing was charged for this ground, but that it was put under taxation, 

 and now pays on valuations running from $50 to $500. When, four years ago, the experiment of 

 deep-water cultivation was begun, Orange issued designations, almost wholly to citizens of other 

 towns, for about 2,450 acres, at $1 an acre. It is impossible to come nearer than this to the town's 

 revenue from its oyster-lots, since no separate account is published by the treasurer. The deep- 

 water area is taxed at a merely nominal rate at present. 



"Only two producers of any consequence now reside in West Haven. The small allotments 

 in West River which they possess are nearly ruined by the drifting of sediment, and the total 

 product of the river last year would hardly exceed 500 bushels. One planter told me he had had 

 12 acres in one lot in the harbor spoiled by becoming covered with mud. 



"Between Orange and East Haven lies New Haven, priding herself upon her harbor. She 

 had begun to set apart oyster-planting ground for the use of her citizens. Before long,,however, 

 it was claimed that she was allotting spaces of bottom over which she had no jurisdiction. This 

 brought on suits at law and aroused inquiry. The forgotten fact was then brought to light that 

 in 18G3 a joint commission (of which Noah Webster, the lexicographer, was a member) determined 

 the boundary between New Haven and East Haven to be, in general terms, the ship-channel down 

 the Quinepiac and down the harbor. This was ratified by the general assembly. A few years 

 later some disputes caused the appointment of a commission to settle upon the boundary between 

 New Haven and Orange. This was reported to be the middle of West River, and thence eastward 

 to the ship-channel in the harbor. It seems to have been the intention of this commission that 

 this line should intersect and terminate at the East Haven line, but by some error this was not 

 quite done. The recommendations of this commission were adopted by the legislature and decreed 

 to be the boundary between the two towns. This left to New Haven only the waters just about her 

 wharves and a very narrow, wedge-shaped strip down the channel. When, by later laws, it was 

 decided what of the deeper ground of the sound should be 'designated' by East Haven and 

 Orange, respectively, New Haven was allowed a strip 1,500 feet wide, running southward into the 

 sound from a line drawn from the old light-house to Savin Rock. 



"Although these boundaries were settled nearly a century ago, the New Haven oyster com- 

 mittee not long ago designated ground in Orange waters, where they had no right to. Unscrupu- 

 lous persons at once took possession, and in some cases refused to yield to the legal owners 

 deriving their designations properly. Hence expensive suits and much personal animosity has 

 arisen. Many lessees, however, learning their mistake in time, took out new deeds from the 

 rightful authorities, and so saved themselves. But this was done at additional expense, for New 

 Haven had never charged anything for her privileges. 



"Out of the 7,000 or 8,000 acres 'designated' in New Haven Harbor and its offing only from 

 3,000 to 3,500 are in actual use as yet. The largest possession is Mr. H. C. Rowe's ; he operates 

 upon about 1,500 acres. Several other planters have from 200 to COO, while many have 100 acres 

 under cultivation. The major part of this is in deep water, and is yet regarded to a great extent 

 as an experiment, particularly by those who live in other parts of the State. Thus far the success 

 has been encouraging. One gentleman calculates that he has 200,000 bushels of oysters of all 



