﻿INTRODUOTOEY. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  18th 
  of 
  July 
  last, 
  Maj. 
  T. 
  B. 
  Ferguson, 
  Com- 
  

   missioner, 
  having 
  completed 
  the 
  preliminary 
  arrange- 
  

   ments 
  looking 
  forward 
  to 
  the 
  establishment 
  of 
  an 
  experi- 
  

   mental 
  station 
  where 
  every 
  opportunity 
  should 
  be 
  offered 
  

   for 
  the 
  cultivation 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  by 
  artificial 
  means, 
  em- 
  

   ployed 
  the 
  writer 
  to 
  carry 
  on 
  the 
  necessary 
  work 
  of 
  

   experiment 
  and 
  observation. 
  The 
  locality 
  chosen 
  for 
  

   our 
  operations 
  by 
  the 
  Commissioner, 
  was 
  about 
  seven 
  

   miles 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  Potomac 
  River, 
  on 
  the 
  

   western 
  shore 
  of 
  the 
  Cliesapeake 
  Bay, 
  in 
  St. 
  Mary's 
  Co., 
  

   Md., 
  and 
  forms 
  part 
  of 
  an 
  inlet 
  extending 
  several 
  miles 
  

   inland, 
  known 
  as 
  St. 
  Jerome's 
  Creek. 
  Here, 
  a 
  pond, 
  

   covering 
  an 
  area 
  of 
  perhaps 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  acres, 
  which 
  is 
  

   joined 
  to 
  the 
  main 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  creek 
  by 
  a 
  narrow 
  run 
  or 
  

   canal, 
  through 
  which 
  the 
  tide 
  ebbs 
  and 
  flows, 
  was 
  chosen 
  

   with 
  the 
  design 
  of 
  converting 
  it 
  into 
  a 
  claire 
  or 
  oyster 
  

   park, 
  somewhat 
  similar 
  to 
  those 
  in 
  successful 
  operation 
  

   on 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  France. 
  The 
  pond 
  having 
  been 
  leased 
  

   from 
  the 
  owner, 
  jMr. 
  J. 
  W. 
  Wrightson, 
  for 
  a 
  term 
  of 
  years, 
  

   with 
  the 
  privilege 
  of 
  making 
  such 
  improvements 
  as 
  might 
  

   be 
  necessary 
  in 
  carrying 
  on 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  oyster 
  culture, 
  

   presents, 
  in 
  all 
  respects, 
  as 
  favorable 
  a 
  situation 
  in 
  the 
  

   opinion 
  of 
  the 
  writer, 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  intended, 
  as 
  could 
  

   be 
  desired. 
  

  

  After 
  some 
  delay 
  in 
  getting 
  our 
  work 
  agoing, 
  we 
  suc- 
  

   ceeded 
  however, 
  in 
  obtaining 
  some 
  results 
  and 
  many 
  

   experiences, 
  whi(?h 
  will 
  be 
  of 
  great 
  use 
  in 
  guiding 
  us 
  to 
  

   the 
  attainment 
  of 
  better 
  results 
  in 
  the 
  future. 
  My 
  object, 
  

   in 
  the 
  main, 
  was 
  to 
  learn 
  what 
  were 
  the 
  difficulties 
  which 
  

   would 
  beset 
  us 
  in 
  our 
  future 
  work 
  and 
  to 
  find 
  out 
  what 
  

   methods 
  might 
  suggest 
  themselves 
  as 
  better 
  calculated 
  to 
  

   further 
  our 
  efforts 
  next 
  season. 
  The 
  time 
  of 
  breeding 
  

  

  