THE OYSTER FISHERY OF CONNECTICUT. 
471 
V.— THE OYSTER GROUNDS. 
14. Location and extent . — The oyster grouucls of Counecticut were formerly situated 
almost wholly iu the shallow waters of the bays, coves, and estuaries along the coast, but 
about 1865, when the practicability of deep-water planting became apparent, areas far- 
ther from shore were utilized. This extension of cultivated bottom toward the middle of 
the sound has continued until now some of the beds are 8 miles from the mainland, 
reaching fully to the State line which divides Long Island Sound almost equally 
between Connecticut and New York. 
This division gives to Connecticut about 370,000 acres, or nearly 580 square miles 
of Long Island Sound and adjacent bays. Of this area, some 35,000 acres lie within 
the bays and estuaries bounded and included by the “ commissioners’ shore line,” and 
consequently subject to the jurisdiction of some one of the twenty-four towns within 
whose borders they lie; hence, they are known as ‘‘ towu grounds.” The remaining 
335.000 acres are “ State grounds,” under the control of tlie Shellfish Commission. 
About 15,000 acres of this region are covered with ledges and islands, so that some 
320.000 acres are under water. Of the above, 5,819 acres are “ natural oyster beds,” 
thus leaving over 314,000 acres, of which the title to 70,132.9 is vested in individuals, 
and the remainder is still available for designation by the Shellfish Commission to 
whomsoever may desire to purchase any of it. 
Of the 35,000 acres of “ towu grounds,” 6,874 acres are owned by individuals, 
13,482 acres are public beds, and the remainder, of but little value, lies at waste, and 
may be designated to individuals by the towns. The area held by individuals or firms 
varies from 2 to about 7,000 acres ; the average is 186.5. 
The number of proprietors of “ State grounds,” iu each year since 1881, is as 
follows : 
1882 
1883 
1884 
1885 
216 
290 
385 
423 
1886 
1887 
1888 
1889 
434 
431 
401 
376 
Stevenson says that, of the 376 proprietors of “ State grounds,” 16 own 28,443 
acres, valued at $678,000, and cultivate 15,716 acres, upon which it was estimated there 
were 1,645,000 bushels of oysters. 
In 1889 49 persons or firms had 10 acres or less ; 40 held between 10 and 25 acres; 
118 between 25 and 100, and the rest had upwards of 100 acres. The number of owners 
of “towu grounds” iu 1889, who had no “ State grounds,” was probably about 100 (none 
of whom own large areas), thus making an aggregate of some 476 proprietors of oyster 
grounds in the State. Some of these are not cultivators, but hold the property for 
speculative purposes. 
