REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 187 
minute vegetable organisms—desmids and diatoms—upon which oysters 
are now known chiefly to subsist, and the abundance of such food no 
doubt accounts for the rapid growth and characteristic flavor which 
distinguish these particular mollusks. There haye been years when 
an apparent excess of vegetable food has imparted a green coloration 
to the gills of the oysters, a feature which from time to time has at- 
tracted much attention in oyster circles throughout the country, and 
which has been shown to be due to the absorption of the coloring mat- 
ter of ingested alge. The winter of 1888-89 was one of the seasons in 
which the Lynn Haven oysters became thus affected. 
The oyster beds or “coves” in this river are in part leased from the 
State and in part owned by private individuals. The holdings vary 
in extent from 2 to 40 acres or more. Semi-professional fishermen 
usually have from 2 to 5 acres, while the regular planters lease or own 
30, 40, or more acres. It is interesting to observe that much of the 
oyster land in the vicinity of Church Point, one of the most favorable 
locations, has been only comparatively recently submerged, Some of 
the ground is the part of an old graveyard, and even now by wading 
a man may feel the submerged tombstones. Nearly all persons living 
on the shores of the river and its multitudinous coves are more or less 
interested in oyster-culture. In round numbers there are 100 regular 
planters and as many more irregular or semi-professional, not including 
the persons employed in tonging, packing, carting, ete. 
The entire output of the river consists of oysters that have been 
artificially reared, there being no natural beds. Originally most of the 
seed oysters in Lynn Haven River were brought from Broad and Link- 
horn bays, and even at the present time a part of the yearly supply, 
amounting to 4,000 or 5,000 bushels, comes from those sourees, but a 
considerable quantity is also obtained from the James River and the 
Chesapeake. To a small extent the planters depend on spat obtained 
from their own grounds, some “ coves” being apparently better adapted 
than others for producing native seed. The practicability of sowing 
shells for the attachment of the spat is fully understood by those planters 
who depend for their supply to some extent on spawning oysters on 
their own beds, and this method is followed whenever it is desired to 
collect spat. The seed oysters placed in the river are usually one year 
old, and are allowed to remain down about three years. Oysters raised 
from the spat are taken up for market when four years old. Some oys- 
ters, destined for special trade, are left down five or six years, and reach 
the exceptionally large size for which the “ Lynn Havens” are noted. 
In recent years the ruling price for Lynn Haven oysters at first hands 
has been about $2.50 per bushel, regardless of size. Small quantities of 
specially large oysters often bring $3 or $3.50 per bushel. In 1857 26,000 
bushels of oysters were reported to be on the beds in the Lynn Haven 
River, of which 9,500 bushels were taken up and sold, yielding $23,750. 
The following year there were 42,000 bushels on the grounds, and of 
