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  of 
  any 
  kind, 
  was 
  desirable. 
  Oysters, 
  when 
  under 
  hatches^ 
  

   have 
  very 
  frequently 
  l)een 
  killed 
  by 
  heavy 
  thunder 
  storms- 
  

   and 
  tiring 
  of 
  guns. 
  Any 
  concussion 
  or 
  sudden 
  shock 
  will 
  

   prove 
  destructive, 
  if 
  the 
  animals 
  are 
  in 
  a 
  confined 
  space. 
  Oys- 
  

   ters 
  taken 
  up 
  during 
  the 
  summer 
  are 
  much 
  more 
  susceptible 
  to 
  

   injury 
  from 
  this 
  cause 
  than 
  those 
  obtained 
  during 
  the 
  winter. 
  

   Oysters 
  are 
  transplanted 
  at 
  any 
  and 
  all 
  seasons 
  but 
  generally 
  

   in 
  the 
  spring 
  and 
  autumn. 
  Oysters 
  obtained 
  by 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  the 
  

   "tongs" 
  are 
  preferred 
  to 
  those 
  dredged, 
  and 
  generally 
  those 
  

   taken 
  either 
  before 
  or 
  after 
  the 
  spawning 
  season 
  are 
  most 
  de- 
  

   sirable. 
  The 
  dredged 
  oysters 
  are 
  apt 
  to 
  be 
  broken 
  about 
  the 
  

   bills, 
  and 
  will 
  die 
  on 
  the 
  planting 
  grounds 
  sooner 
  and 
  in 
  

   larger 
  numbers 
  than 
  the 
  "tonged" 
  ones. 
  Those 
  oysters 
  

   planted 
  about 
  the 
  Sounds 
  are 
  generally 
  obtained 
  from 
  "tong- 
  

   ers," 
  but 
  those 
  sent 
  to 
  the 
  North, 
  being 
  in 
  such 
  large 
  num- 
  

   bers, 
  are 
  usually 
  dredged. 
  The 
  size 
  and 
  age 
  of 
  the 
  oysters 
  to 
  

   be 
  transplanted 
  depends 
  on 
  whether 
  they 
  are 
  for 
  early 
  con- 
  

   sumption 
  or 
  not. 
  If 
  the 
  former, 
  the 
  larger 
  and 
  older 
  the 
  

   better, 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  latter 
  case 
  young 
  oysters, 
  from 
  one 
  to 
  two 
  

   years 
  old, 
  are 
  preferred. 
  

  

  Generally 
  any 
  and 
  all 
  oysters 
  are 
  taken, 
  without 
  regard 
  to 
  

   age 
  or 
  size. 
  The 
  oysters 
  for 
  the 
  Northern 
  planting 
  grounds 
  

   are 
  usually 
  taken 
  up 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  ice 
  clears 
  away 
  and 
  are 
  used 
  

   during 
  the 
  spring. 
  Those 
  transplanted 
  in 
  the 
  Sound 
  are 
  

   taken 
  up 
  later 
  in 
  the 
  spring, 
  or 
  during 
  the 
  early 
  summer 
  

   or 
  autumn 
  months, 
  and 
  used 
  during 
  the 
  following 
  winter^ 
  

   Blunt-nosed 
  oysters, 
  with 
  thick 
  shells, 
  do 
  not 
  thrive 
  on 
  the 
  

   planting 
  grounds. 
  A 
  change 
  of 
  bottom 
  in 
  transplanting 
  oys 
  

   ters 
  is 
  not 
  considered 
  of 
  so 
  much 
  importance 
  as 
  a 
  change 
  of 
  

   water. 
  The 
  planted 
  beds 
  should 
  be 
  laid 
  at 
  the 
  mouths 
  of 
  

   creeks 
  and 
  rivers 
  having 
  a 
  rapid 
  current. 
  The 
  bottom 
  best 
  

   for 
  natural 
  beds 
  was 
  considered 
  best 
  for 
  planted 
  ones. 
  

  

  The 
  spawning 
  season 
  was 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  from 
  May 
  until 
  Au- 
  

   gust, 
  inclusive, 
  though 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  spawning 
  was 
  done 
  in 
  June 
  

   and 
  July. 
  All 
  opinions 
  coincided 
  that 
  the 
  oyster 
  in 
  shoal 
  

   water 
  spawmed 
  first, 
  but 
  differed 
  as 
  to 
  whether 
  the 
  depth 
  

   being 
  the 
  same, 
  all 
  oysters 
  on 
  the 
  same 
  bed 
  spawned 
  at 
  

   or 
  about 
  the 
  same 
  time, 
  as 
  many 
  being 
  for 
  as 
  against 
  the 
  

  

  