﻿160 
  

  

  The 
  main 
  cause, 
  as 
  I 
  have 
  said, 
  was 
  decided 
  to 
  be 
  excessive- 
  

   fishery, 
  which, 
  bj 
  removing 
  too 
  large 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  mature- 
  

   brood 
  oysters, 
  diminislied 
  in 
  a 
  constantly 
  increasing 
  ratio 
  the 
  

   fecundity 
  of 
  the 
  bed. 
  Other 
  causes 
  operated 
  also 
  to 
  some 
  ex- 
  

   tent, 
  but 
  their 
  effects 
  were 
  inconsiderable. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  but 
  one 
  method 
  of 
  maintaining 
  the 
  fecundity 
  of' 
  

   the 
  beds, 
  and 
  that 
  is 
  by 
  protection, 
  but 
  this 
  protection 
  can 
  be 
  

   afforded 
  in 
  several 
  ways 
  : 
  Either 
  by 
  restricting 
  the 
  fishery, 
  by 
  

   enlarging 
  the 
  field 
  for 
  the 
  dredgers, 
  or 
  by 
  insuring 
  the 
  matur- 
  

   ity 
  of 
  a 
  larger 
  number 
  of 
  oysters, 
  by 
  artificially 
  impregnating 
  

   the 
  ova 
  of 
  the 
  female 
  and 
  protecting 
  the 
  resultant 
  embryos, 
  

   during 
  those 
  periods 
  when 
  they 
  were 
  unable 
  to 
  protect 
  them- 
  

   selves. 
  

  

  To 
  aftbrd 
  protection 
  and 
  maintain 
  the 
  fecundity 
  of 
  the 
  bed 
  

   in 
  the 
  last 
  mentioned 
  manner 
  has 
  been 
  attempted 
  by 
  Dr. 
  W. 
  

   K. 
  Brooks, 
  and 
  his 
  efforts 
  have 
  been 
  in 
  a 
  measure 
  successful. 
  

   The 
  ova 
  has 
  been 
  impregnated, 
  and 
  the 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  resultant 
  

   embryos 
  has 
  been 
  maintained 
  for 
  varying 
  periods, 
  the 
  maxi- 
  

   mum 
  being 
  six 
  days. 
  

  

  Whether 
  this 
  success 
  will 
  be 
  of 
  practical 
  benefit 
  remains 
  a 
  

   matter 
  of 
  conjecture, 
  and 
  should 
  it* 
  prove 
  practicable 
  to 
  thus 
  

   assist 
  nature 
  in 
  maintaining 
  the 
  beds 
  at 
  their 
  greatest 
  produc- 
  

   tiveness, 
  it 
  will 
  require 
  extended 
  experiments 
  before 
  we 
  can' 
  

   feel 
  assured 
  that 
  the 
  protection 
  afforded 
  in 
  this 
  manner 
  will 
  

   be 
  sufficient. 
  To 
  confirjn 
  the 
  opinion 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  deterioration 
  

   of 
  the 
  beds, 
  and 
  to 
  show 
  the 
  best 
  method 
  of 
  protecting 
  them 
  

   in 
  the 
  two 
  remaining 
  ways 
  has 
  been 
  the 
  endeavor 
  of 
  the 
  party 
  

   under 
  my 
  command, 
  and 
  to 
  tluit 
  result 
  have 
  our 
  efforts 
  been 
  

   directed. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  positive 
  and 
  correct 
  information 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  

   life 
  and 
  habits 
  of 
  the 
  oyster, 
  all 
  legislation 
  relating 
  to 
  their 
  

   protection 
  must 
  be 
  to 
  a 
  great 
  extent 
  inoperative 
  and 
  non-pro- 
  

   ductive 
  of 
  the 
  desired 
  results, 
  and 
  until 
  such 
  information 
  has 
  

   been 
  obtained 
  the 
  best 
  and 
  easiest 
  remedy 
  for 
  the 
  deteriora- 
  

   tion 
  would 
  be 
  an 
  extension 
  of 
  the 
  known 
  fishing 
  ground 
  ; 
  in 
  

   other 
  words, 
  the 
  discovery 
  of 
  new 
  and 
  well 
  stocked 
  beds, 
  as 
  

   the 
  number 
  of 
  dredgers 
  being, 
  at 
  least 
  for 
  a 
  few 
  years, 
  con- 
  

   stant, 
  they 
  will 
  naturally 
  seek 
  the 
  most 
  profitable 
  field 
  for 
  

  

  