Morning journal and courier., 1880-08-06

business Mariners Harbor, Tottenville and
 Port Richmond are the result of the prosper
 ity in oyster farming. There is no doubt but
 oysters existed in these water prior to the
 systematic prosecution of this business.
 Prince's Bay, Raritan Bay and New York
 Bay are the localities where the oyster farms
 are situated. Some sixty or seventy years
 ago few persons discovered the advantag-
 eous condition of the waters surrounding Sta
 ten Island for the purposes of growing oys-
 ters The promoters of this project have de-
 scendants at the various places on the island.
 The names Ellsworth, Butler, Rett, Money,
 Joline and Van Name were associated in the
 early difficulties attendant upon this business
 They at first used the natural oysters, but af- ter while they went south and secured car goes which were planted for few months in these waters, when they were taken up and put in the market. It is not to be presumed that those whose names were associated in the early days of oyster farming for an in stant considered that the business would reach it's present immensity. It has undoubt- edly developed beyond the most sanguine ex- pectations of the most ardent of it's early proprietors, and instead of the business be- 1 ing conducted for home consumption, live 1 ly and constantly increased export trade has sprung up with demands upon our oyster 1 farms from nearly every quarter of the globe. The business of exporting oysters IS but 1n | it's incipiency and the tins is not far distant when this business will rival that of many older and firmly established lines. A person standing upon the docks at Tottenville as the l tide comes to it's flood will be able to form l something of an idea, as he looks upon the ! fleet of oyster boats, as to the extent of the business. When this being but one point for observation he can multiply this one by 8 hundred then some conception of it's extent can be reached. Most of the gathering of oysters in this vicinity takes place at low 1 tide, and sometimes the oystermen remain over two tides. Attention being called to l the cultivation of oysters, it was speedily | brought to the notice of the Legislature, whereupon laws were enacted wh%b allowed | each individual to take up three acres in his ! own name, giving the preference to those l owning land along the shore. The occupant I was compelled, in order to protect his right, \ to stake out and cleaIly mark the ground and plant the same with not less thansffty bush els of seed oysters within six months. The ! oysterman is not permitted to take oysters | in any county but that in which he resides, nor anywhere from public beds, between the l 10th of June and the 18th of September. Dredging is prohibited on natural beds The cultivation of oysters has been attended with so much uncertainty, and being largely ex- perimental often losing their labor and har \ vest by reason of the operations of the natur al enemies of oysters, stars, drills, winkles, and more particularly the drumfsh, for this | fish will completely destroy the oyster, that they have been compelled to strenuously re- sist any attempt to tax them for their grounds. They consider that 8 tax would load and burden their industry to such extent as would seriously check it's growth l if not ruin the business. The seed is pur- chased from men who obtain it from natural beds, hundreds being engaged in this branch of the business.
 The oysters usually grow for three or four years upon ground that is a little muddy, when they taken up the spring before us- ing and placed upon hard, sandy bottom. The Staten Island oysters are generally taken near Railway for the purposes of freshening and left in the floats over one tide. The oys- ter beds on Staten Island are in shoaler wa ter than on the Connecticut shore.
 The Staten Island oyster usually has shell very hard and firm and which preserves their meats better than many others, which enables them to be shipped farther and in good condition. They are in demand for foreign and distant markets. The oyster farmer is profting continually from the ex- perience of the past, and every year, although no one can with certainty predict what the season will bring forth, there is improve ment noticed. There is grand future for this business and the promise of returns are encouraging, whenit is known that the oys- ter business of Staten Island exceeds every other industry in which the people are en- gagged.