﻿137 
  

  

  are 
  more 
  aflected 
  by 
  cold 
  water 
  and 
  ice 
  than 
  those 
  on 
  the 
  

   shoals, 
  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  to 
  remember 
  that 
  the 
  lower 
  the 
  tempe- 
  

   rature 
  of 
  sea 
  water 
  the 
  greater 
  its 
  density, 
  and 
  thus 
  as 
  the 
  

   surface 
  water 
  becomes 
  cooler 
  it 
  would 
  sink. 
  The 
  freezing 
  

   point 
  of 
  salt 
  water 
  is 
  below 
  that 
  of 
  fresh. 
  Therefore 
  the 
  oys- 
  

   ters 
  in 
  the 
  deep 
  water, 
  or 
  generally 
  speaking, 
  those 
  remote 
  

   from 
  the 
  mouths 
  of 
  the 
  streams, 
  may 
  have 
  surrounding 
  them 
  

   water 
  of 
  a 
  slightly 
  lower 
  temperature 
  depending 
  upon 
  the 
  

   amount 
  of 
  salinity 
  than 
  those 
  oysters 
  near 
  the 
  creeks 
  and 
  

   rivers 
  that 
  are 
  surrounded 
  by 
  ice. 
  Again, 
  the 
  deep 
  water 
  

   would 
  be 
  much 
  slower 
  to 
  lose 
  or 
  acquire 
  heat 
  than 
  that 
  on 
  the 
  

   surface 
  or 
  in 
  less 
  depths, 
  which 
  would 
  necessarily 
  be 
  affected 
  

   quickly 
  by 
  all 
  changes 
  of 
  weather. 
  

  

  The 
  statement 
  that 
  the 
  oysters 
  recover 
  and 
  reappear 
  after 
  

   the 
  "sanding" 
  process, 
  must 
  be 
  received 
  with 
  great 
  caution, 
  

   opposed 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  to 
  most 
  experience. 
  That 
  some 
  few 
  may 
  sur- 
  

   vive 
  is 
  possibly 
  the 
  case, 
  but 
  that 
  the 
  majority 
  recover 
  after 
  

   being 
  covered 
  with 
  sand 
  for 
  any 
  length 
  of 
  time 
  is 
  very 
  doubtful. 
  

  

  The 
  testimony 
  of 
  all 
  persons 
  in 
  the 
  neighborhood 
  of 
  the 
  

   Sounds 
  was 
  to 
  the 
  effect 
  that 
  the 
  beds 
  were 
  deteriorating. 
  In 
  

   the 
  absence 
  of 
  any 
  reliable 
  observations, 
  extending 
  over 
  any 
  

   length 
  of 
  time, 
  their 
  opinions 
  must 
  be 
  taken 
  as 
  correct, 
  at 
  

   least 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  fact, 
  although 
  perhaps 
  only 
  approximately 
  so 
  

   as 
  to 
  the 
  degree. 
  Accepting, 
  then, 
  the 
  statement, 
  it 
  is 
  neces- 
  

   sary 
  to 
  account 
  for 
  the 
  deterioration 
  if 
  possible. 
  

  

  After 
  the 
  original 
  formation 
  and 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  they 
  

   would 
  at 
  some 
  time, 
  the 
  same 
  conditions 
  continuing, 
  cease 
  their 
  

   development, 
  neither 
  increasing 
  in 
  size 
  or 
  in 
  number 
  of 
  oys- 
  

   ters, 
  there 
  being 
  a 
  natural 
  limit 
  to 
  expansion 
  in 
  either 
  direc- 
  

   tion. 
  Supposing, 
  then, 
  a 
  bed 
  to 
  have 
  extended 
  itself 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  

   the 
  conditions 
  of 
  bottom 
  and 
  water 
  or 
  other 
  natural 
  limit 
  

   would 
  allow, 
  all 
  future 
  expansion 
  could 
  be 
  only 
  in 
  the 
  number 
  

   of 
  oysters 
  on 
  the 
  bed 
  and 
  this 
  is 
  limited 
  principally 
  by 
  the 
  

   amount 
  of 
  food 
  and 
  the 
  room 
  for 
  development, 
  the 
  question 
  

   of 
  enemies 
  not 
  being 
  considered, 
  as 
  there 
  being 
  no 
  increase 
  if 
  

   they 
  were 
  not 
  in 
  sufficient 
  numbers 
  to 
  prevent 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  

   the 
  bed 
  and 
  number 
  of 
  oysters, 
  they 
  would 
  not 
  be 
  sufficient 
  

   to 
  cause 
  its 
  destriiction 
  or 
  deterioration. 
  

  

  