142 FISH-CULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 
ground lying within the exclusive jurisdiction of the State re- 
turned to the commissioners for taxation, in 1883, was 74,930 
acres, of which 13,008 acres were described as cultivated and 
61,922 as uncultivated. In 1882 the returns were 9,007 acres 
cultivated, and 46,316 uncultivated. The gain therefore for 1883 
over 1882, was 4,oo1 acres cultivated and 15,606 uncultivated. 
New applications are constantly being made, and more acres 
are annually put under cultivation. 
The usual method of planting new ground is to strew about 
three hundred bushels of oyster shells, and thirty bushels of 
spawning oysters to each acre. In some cases where the new 
ground is in the vicinity of a natural bed or other ground on 
which are spawning oysters, a good set is obtained without the 
deposit of any mature oysters. The time of planting is from 
June 15th to September 1st, the deeper the water the later is the 
“set,” and the cultivators govern themselves accordingly in their 
work, the great requisite being that the “‘cultch” shall be clean 
and fresh at the time of the floating spat. All kinds of business 
have their drawbacks, and the cultivation of oysters is no excep- 
tion. In Connecticut the two principal enemies of the oyster 
cultivators are the star-fish (Aster¢as rubens), and oyster thieves of 
the human species. The oyster growers sumetimes say that it is 
questionable which is the greater pest, the “five fingers” or 
the “ten fingers.” The star-fish are much more destructive 
in some years than others, and during the same season inflict 
great injury upon the beds in one portion of the State, while in 
others they do not appear at all, or in such insignificant num- 
bers as to do no appreciable harm. Until recently the only rem- 
edy has been to remove the oysters and star-fish together, the 
star-fish being destroyed, and the oysters either sold or removed 
to some locality where no star-fish were to be found. Mr. J. F 
Homan, of New Haven, in this State, has invented a dredge 
which, it is claimed, will remove the star-fish without taking the 
oysters. Its construction is based upon the fact that the star- 
fish is of lighter specific gravity than the oyster. The bag of the 
dredge is located about six inches behind the bar or rake, and 
a few inches higher. 
The practical effect is that the oysters and star-fish being: stir- 
