﻿81 
  

  

  productiveness 
  is 
  enfeebled 
  or 
  destroyed. 
  Amongst 
  the 
  

   oystermen 
  there 
  seems 
  to 
  he 
  a 
  widespread 
  indifference 
  

   in 
  regard 
  to 
  this 
  matter, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  lioi)ed 
  tliat 
  tliese 
  

   persons, 
  who, 
  more 
  than 
  any 
  other 
  chiss, 
  are 
  directly 
  

   interested 
  in 
  the 
  maintenance 
  of 
  the 
  productiveness 
  of 
  

   the 
  beds, 
  will 
  see 
  the 
  evils 
  of 
  excessive 
  or 
  indiscriminate 
  

   dredging 
  before 
  it 
  is 
  too 
  late 
  to 
  repair 
  the 
  damage 
  done 
  

   thereby. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  propositions 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  laid 
  down 
  

   by 
  Prof. 
  Mobius, 
  are 
  as 
  applicable 
  to 
  the 
  conservation 
  of 
  

   our 
  own 
  species 
  as 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  Europe 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  "An 
  oyster 
  bank 
  will 
  yield 
  permanently 
  the 
  greatest 
  

   l)rofit 
  if 
  it 
  i)()ssesses 
  such 
  a 
  stock 
  of 
  full 
  grown 
  oysters 
  as 
  

   will 
  l)e 
  sufficient 
  to 
  maintain 
  the 
  fecundity 
  of 
  the 
  bank 
  

   in 
  accordance 
  with 
  its 
  bioconotic 
  conditions. 
  

  

  "When 
  the 
  natural 
  conditions 
  will 
  admit 
  of 
  it, 
  the 
  

   yielding 
  capacity 
  of 
  an 
  oyster 
  bed 
  may 
  be 
  increased 
  by 
  

   improving 
  and 
  enlarging 
  the 
  ground 
  for 
  the 
  reception 
  of 
  

   the 
  young 
  brood. 
  

  

  "The 
  natural 
  banks 
  should 
  be 
  improved 
  by 
  removing 
  

   the 
  weeds 
  and 
  plants 
  with 
  dredges 
  and 
  properly 
  con- 
  

   structed 
  harrows, 
  and 
  by 
  scattering 
  the 
  shells 
  of 
  oysters 
  

   and 
  other 
  mollusks 
  over 
  the 
  bottom. 
  

  

  "When 
  circumstances 
  will 
  permit, 
  all 
  the 
  animals 
  

   which 
  are 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  dredge, 
  and 
  which 
  kill 
  the 
  oys- 
  

   ters 
  or 
  use 
  up 
  their 
  food, 
  should 
  be 
  destroyed. 
  

  

  "It 
  would 
  be 
  much 
  more 
  judicious 
  and 
  much 
  better 
  for 
  

   consumers, 
  if 
  the 
  'close 
  time' 
  could 
  ])e 
  extended 
  until 
  

   the 
  loth 
  of 
  Septeniber 
  or 
  the 
  Isr 
  of 
  October, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  

   allow 
  the 
  oysters 
  some 
  time 
  after 
  the 
  expulsion 
  of 
  the 
  

   contents 
  of 
  the 
  generative 
  organs 
  to 
  become 
  fat 
  l)efore 
  

   being 
  l)rought 
  to 
  the 
  table. 
  

  

  "If 
  it 
  is 
  desired 
  that 
  the 
  oyster 
  banks 
  shouhl 
  remain 
  

   of 
  general 
  advantage 
  to 
  the 
  public 
  and 
  a 
  i)ei-mant'nt 
  source 
  

   of 
  proti1^,to 
  the 
  inhabitants 
  of 
  the 
  coast, 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  

   oysters. 
  -takeii 
  fvim 
  the 
  beds 
  yeai-ly 
  must 
  not 
  depend 
  u])on 
  

   the 
  demands 
  jf 
  the 
  .consumer 
  or 
  be 
  g(jverned 
  by 
  high 
  

  

  