﻿LXXIV 
  

  

  enable 
  us 
  to 
  trace 
  the 
  further 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  oyster, 
  but 
  

   would, 
  no 
  doubt, 
  be 
  of 
  great 
  benefit 
  as 
  a 
  model 
  on 
  which 
  es- 
  

   tablishments 
  of 
  a 
  similar 
  kind 
  can 
  be 
  constructed. 
  

  

  If 
  the 
  artificial 
  propagation 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  prove 
  a 
  success 
  

   practically, 
  and 
  if 
  the 
  art 
  of 
  manipulating 
  them 
  can 
  be 
  easily 
  

   acquired, 
  as 
  Dr. 
  Brooks' 
  descriptions 
  would 
  indicate, 
  an 
  almost 
  

   indefinite 
  supply 
  of 
  young 
  oysters 
  could 
  be 
  derived 
  in 
  this 
  

   manner, 
  and 
  they 
  could 
  be 
  easily 
  transferred 
  to 
  localities 
  sui- 
  

   table 
  for 
  their 
  final 
  development. 
  Much 
  of 
  the 
  present 
  drain, 
  

   on 
  the 
  natural 
  beds, 
  for 
  transplanting 
  would 
  become 
  unneces- 
  

   sary, 
  and 
  the 
  supply 
  for 
  cultivation 
  in 
  shoal 
  waters 
  could 
  be 
  

   derived 
  by 
  this 
  simple 
  artificial 
  propagation. 
  The 
  planted 
  

   beds 
  could 
  then 
  be 
  furnished 
  at 
  much 
  less 
  expense 
  to 
  the 
  cul- 
  

   tivator. 
  

  

  By 
  pursuing 
  this 
  method, 
  the 
  beds 
  would 
  not 
  only 
  be 
  re- 
  

   lieved 
  of 
  the 
  necessity 
  for 
  disturbing 
  them 
  during 
  the 
  periods 
  

   when 
  they 
  should 
  be 
  at 
  rest, 
  but 
  a 
  strong 
  inducement 
  to 
  vio- 
  

   late 
  the 
  protective 
  laws 
  would 
  be 
  removed. 
  "VVe 
  feel 
  satisfied 
  

   that 
  the 
  able 
  Board, 
  under 
  whose 
  special 
  care 
  tlie 
  oysters 
  are 
  

   placed, 
  will 
  suggest 
  most 
  proper 
  and 
  efficient 
  means 
  for 
  their 
  

   protection. 
  We 
  simply 
  place 
  within 
  their 
  reach 
  the 
  results 
  of 
  

   recent 
  investigations 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  conducted 
  in 
  connection 
  

   with 
  our 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  State, 
  and 
  we 
  trust 
  that 
  

   they 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  to 
  contain 
  something 
  of 
  value. 
  The 
  oys- 
  

   ter, 
  as 
  we 
  have 
  already 
  said, 
  must 
  have 
  a 
  very 
  important 
  

   bearing 
  on 
  the 
  fish 
  yield 
  of 
  our 
  waters, 
  and 
  for 
  this 
  reason 
  is 
  

   ever 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  interest 
  to 
  us. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  well 
  known 
  that 
  quite 
  a 
  large 
  population 
  on 
  the 
  sea- 
  

   coast 
  of 
  France 
  derive 
  their 
  chief 
  support 
  from 
  the 
  cultivation 
  

   of 
  the 
  oyster, 
  and 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  marine 
  departments 
  owe 
  their 
  

   prosperity 
  mainly 
  to 
  this 
  industry. 
  The 
  Europeans 
  have, 
  

   however, 
  confined 
  themselves 
  to 
  collecting, 
  carefully 
  protect- 
  

   ing 
  and 
  caring 
  for 
  the 
  oyster 
  after 
  it 
  has 
  reached 
  that 
  stage 
  

   when 
  it 
  attaches 
  itself 
  to 
  some 
  stationary 
  object. 
  Dr. 
  Brooks 
  

   has 
  pointed 
  out 
  to 
  us 
  how 
  we 
  can 
  go 
  far 
  beyond 
  the 
  oyster 
  

   culturists 
  of 
  Europe 
  in 
  being 
  able 
  to 
  artificially 
  impregnate 
  

   the 
  eggs 
  as 
  in 
  fish 
  culture, 
  and 
  in 
  this 
  way, 
  to 
  a 
  great 
  extent, 
  

   control 
  the 
  increase. 
  

  

  