OF THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT. Ze 
beds and catch the stars at the same time.” ‘‘ The oystermen should 
catch all they can.” ‘‘ Let each and every man take care of his own plan- 
tation and look out for his own interests.” ‘‘ Leave the work with the 
Shell Fish Commissioners.” ‘‘ Let the State pay half the expense of 
catching them.” ‘‘ Let the State employ steam oyster boats, when they 
are not busy, and catch them when they are bunched.” ‘‘ Let the 
State keep two or three steamers to render aid to those who have no 
steamers.”  ‘‘Sell all the natural beds in small lots to the highest 
bidder, or else put a high bounty on the stars.” ‘‘Appoint a special 
committee of inquiry and report to the Shell Fish Commission or to 
the Legislature before February rst, 1885.” ‘‘ Passa law compelling, 
under heavy penalties, all parties to catch off the vermin from their 
unoccupied ground; steamers on the natural beds would not do 
any good; the stars must be exterminated some other way.” 
‘*Offer a bounty, make the stars into a fertilizer and sell it to the 
farmers; it will pay a part, ifnot all the expense.” ‘‘ The State should 
do nothing.” 
In view of these differences of opinion, it is difficult to come to any 
satisfactory conclusion as to what, if anything, ought to be done by 
the State. 
The Commissioners have discussed the subject in their previous 
reports—and they have but little to add. Certainly any attempt to 
introduce steamers on the natural beds would only result in the repe- 
tition of those conflicts between the oyster cultivators and the ‘‘ natural 
growthers” (as they are commonly called), which were so prolonged 
and so bitter, and which occupied so much of the time and attention 
of the legislature a few years ago, to no good result. We believe any 
attempt to introduce steam would be opposed strenuously bya large 
majority of respectable citizens. 
As to those who, for their own reasons, do not choose, for the time 
being, to cultivate their grounds, any law to compel them to keep 
watch over their grounds and dredge for stars, would seem unreasona- 
ble and oppressive. No one would think it right to compel a farmer 
to maintain a hunt through his woodland for wolves, or foxes, or other 
animal marauders, because perchance they may be roaming there, and 
some time may make incursions against his neighbor’s chickens or 
sheep. To meet such troubles as these the State has never passed 
coercive laws, but it has in several instances offered bounties for 
killing such wild animals. It seems, therefore, more in harmony 
with justice and precedent for the State to offer a small bounty for 
catching stars in any of the waters under State jurisdiction. It is 
