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  about 
  six 
  inches 
  in 
  thickness 
  over 
  a 
  hard 
  substratum, 
  was 
  con- 
  

   sidered 
  the 
  best, 
  though 
  a 
  larger 
  amount 
  of 
  mud 
  did 
  not 
  

   matter, 
  provided 
  it 
  was 
  not 
  so 
  soft 
  as 
  to 
  allow 
  the 
  oysters 
  to 
  

   sink 
  in 
  it 
  and 
  had 
  a 
  strong 
  current 
  over 
  it. 
  

  

  The 
  oysters 
  were 
  said 
  to 
  feed 
  on 
  tlie 
  llood 
  tide, 
  having 
  

   their 
  bills 
  open 
  then 
  and 
  at 
  no 
  other 
  time. 
  ISTo 
  one 
  had 
  

   noticed 
  any 
  enemies 
  or 
  animals 
  that 
  preyed 
  upon 
  the 
  oysters, 
  

   and 
  all 
  seemed 
  to 
  be 
  ignorant 
  of 
  the 
  drills 
  and 
  their 
  destruc- 
  

   tive 
  effects. 
  

  

  The 
  oysters 
  are 
  ''^ 
  culled," 
  that 
  is 
  they 
  are 
  separated 
  from 
  

   the 
  old 
  shells 
  and 
  other 
  debris 
  while 
  the 
  boat 
  or 
  vessel 
  is 
  on 
  

   or 
  near 
  the 
  bed. 
  Everything 
  except 
  the 
  oysters 
  is 
  thrown 
  

   back, 
  sometimes 
  striking 
  the 
  bed 
  and 
  as 
  often 
  the 
  mud. 
  

   The 
  young 
  oysters 
  under 
  a 
  year 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  in 
  growth 
  and 
  

   less 
  than 
  two 
  inches 
  long 
  are 
  also 
  thrown 
  back. 
  

  

  All 
  persons 
  interrogated 
  were 
  of 
  the 
  opinion 
  that 
  at 
  least 
  

   seventy-five 
  (75) 
  per 
  cent, 
  of 
  the 
  oysters 
  on 
  a 
  bed 
  are 
  taken 
  

   off 
  each 
  year 
  and 
  that 
  no 
  more 
  than 
  fifty 
  (50) 
  per 
  cent, 
  

   should 
  be 
  removed. 
  Off 
  the 
  beds 
  near 
  Haine's 
  Point, 
  at 
  

   least 
  one 
  hundred 
  thousand 
  (100,000) 
  bushels, 
  or 
  about 
  

   20,000,000 
  oysters, 
  were 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  season 
  of 
  1878. 
  Off 
  

   the 
  Great 
  Eock, 
  about 
  100,000 
  bushels, 
  or 
  15,000,000 
  of 
  

   oysters, 
  were 
  taken 
  by 
  one 
  hundred 
  boats 
  in 
  October 
  and 
  

   November 
  of 
  1877. 
  The 
  oysters 
  on 
  the 
  rock 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  

   of 
  November 
  were 
  so 
  scarce 
  that 
  but 
  a 
  very 
  small 
  number 
  

   of 
  boats 
  could 
  find 
  profitable 
  work 
  on 
  the 
  bed. 
  In 
  the 
  

   spring 
  about 
  75,000 
  bushels 
  more 
  were 
  taken 
  up 
  and 
  sent 
  

   North, 
  and 
  as 
  the 
  oysters 
  were 
  small, 
  they 
  amounted 
  to 
  prob- 
  

   ably 
  15,000,000 
  at 
  least. 
  Exclusive 
  then 
  of 
  the 
  fishing 
  done 
  

   during 
  the 
  winter 
  months, 
  in 
  one 
  season 
  it 
  is 
  estimated 
  that 
  

   30,000,000 
  of 
  oysters 
  were 
  removed 
  from 
  one 
  bed 
  alone. 
  

  

  Nearly 
  all 
  the 
  oystermen 
  advocated 
  a 
  " 
  close 
  time," 
  either 
  

   from 
  April 
  1st 
  or 
  May 
  1st 
  to 
  October 
  1st; 
  many 
  considered 
  a 
  

   prolongation 
  until 
  November 
  1st, 
  and 
  an 
  entire 
  rest 
  every 
  

   other 
  year, 
  would 
  be 
  beneficial. 
  

  

  With 
  regard 
  to 
  transplanting 
  the 
  oyster 
  and 
  its 
  transpor- 
  

   tation 
  all 
  experienced 
  persons 
  were 
  of 
  the 
  opinion 
  that 
  delicacy 
  

   of 
  handling, 
  and 
  freedom 
  from 
  jars, 
  concussions 
  and 
  shocks 
  

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