Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-03-21
BlralTs Troublss-Oystsru Planted and OTstsrI
.H# Ii. ..#.. Natural ."....

FgH. ..#I.- NaturaL i..,
The equilibrium Of the good people OF Sta
ten Island IL somewhat disturbed In conse-
queuco Of the fact that oysters do not grow"
10 Princes bay, although they can DO devel-
SPed 10 that locality AIT after being once brought
matter Of public interest therefore, we give
the following from one who knows
A natural growth bed Of oysters is q crea-
tlon, and from Il Is designed the supply. oil
oysters which have been and will ever be:
Tho parent oysters were originally created
and located 10 a formation Of coll or bottom
especially adapted 70 them, which consists Of
q peculiarly OF constitution, and u sur
rounded by aud permeatod with water OF
certain quality and temperature. In this
natural formation, or bed, they have yielded
annually their spawn, which contains the
surroundings IA deposited on the bed and the
shells Of what brought Il into existence. This
process, continually going on, In season, the
beds have become n mass Of life. such IL
the formation Of tho natural oyster bed"
TIE bed being creation as well as the oyster.
Experiment and observation have shown
that the waters aud bottom Of this bay were
not designed as medium for the propaga-
ton OF oysters, but only for their develop
ment after being brought into existence;
hence any attempt 10 form natural bed"
has proved failure. II Is used very extern
alvely for the transplanting Of seed oysters
for an increase OF slze and not Of numbers,
for II is well known that every bushcl Of seed
transplanted there suffers material loss,
gradually, but surely. This fact that all
bodies OF water have not In them the elements
necessary for the propagation Of the oyster,
Is well understood, and has been made sub
ject Of investigation In Europe. With the
result above stated, and yet In their waters
the transplanted oyster will live aud grow.
Oysters when transplanted will yield spawn
as well a. on their natural beds, but Princes
bay being deficient In what constitutes nat
url bed, II will float up and down with the
tide; and 80 Irregular Is the setting" and Of
such little amount, that 1t Is Of no coDse-
queoce whatever. Any deviation from this
would be lusus nature. Aud the result,
therefore, In financial view, Of the promls-
cuous settling OF the spawn Is valueless.
The people Of Richmond county arc very
dependent upon their rivers or bays. Thrly-
wing villages flourish on all sides Of III Island,
whose people are engaged chiefly 10 the oys-
ter business who actually desire TO take up
the oysters that have been bought and trans
planted 10 tho bay, under the plea Of looking
Tor natural growth" oysters, O)j and In
getting fraction Of dollars worth OF such
oysters thoy appropriate hundreds, and some
times q thousand dollars, worth Of trans
planted oysters.
part Of the best people OF the north, west
and south sides Of the island. The expenses
and risks attached 10 the buslnoss are heavy,
aud II TO these wholesale theft be added, Il
must be given up, or else the theft must be
stopped. In the former case few thousand
people would be thrown out Of business and
employment, being with their families by far
the bulk Of the population. The soil Of
Staten Island would not sustain iS popula-
ton, and there being no manufactures Of
any account the people would actually live
upon their own houses and lots. Property
In certain localities would depreoiate, and
the island would materially suffer 10 wealth.
Before the people eylnced q proper knowl-
edge Of tho planting business they could
hardly exc out IN existence, and then the
numbers engaged were small; but having
abandoned altogether the idea that the bay
would yield naturally In any quantities, they
purchase annually thousands Of bushels Of
seed from Virginia. With such an exhibit
and explanation concerning natural growth
beds we honestly believe that the natural
growth clauses" in the bill, which adds ma.
terlally TO the present excitement, should be
stricken out, rs they form, In our opinion,
but simple cloak 10 q gigantic robbery.