Milford chronicle., 1883-03-30
TIE OYSTER QUESTION.
ARTIFICIAL PROPAGATION,
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE FUTURE.


More than ten years ago Mr.. Pono
tales, then an assistant in the Coast
Survey, began. under the direction o.
/ the superintendent, Professor Pierce
an iuve-tigatiou of the oyster beds OF
Long Island aud the Hudson, with q
| view to the determination of the vari.
Gus conditions affecting the life Of the
oyster. Owing to the necessities OF
the Coast Survey, the original plan
which contemplated a thorough and
minute study of many extensive area.
was abandoned. but synUp,is of the
report of Mr.. PUnOtale's preliminary
work was given TO the public through
the daily press, aud, in that report of
the first scientific investigation of the
subject, was a note of warning and a
prOphesy that has been proven by re-
cent experience, to have been only too
true.
ANOTHER WARNING.
At about the same Time Mr.. Hunter
Davidson, then commanding the Oys-
ter police of Maryland. made report
to the Governor, in which he made "a
like dismal prOphesy regarding the
Maryland fishery. Both POnOtales
and Davidson, in other words, not
only found the areas examined by
them to be impaired, but warned the
public that the saue condition operat-
ing in the future, MS in the past, would
inevitably lead to the destruction of
the oyster beds aud extinction of the
oyster industry. The reports were
read with the interest attaching to
speculative literature; but the supply
of oysters continuing TO be fully equal
to the demand, very few persons, if /
any, gave the snbject serious consider
alton. From time to time during the
succeeding years other Investigators |
have repeated the warning and prOph- |
esy and have been as little needed.
INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS.
In 1880 the report Of the investigations in the |
Chesapeake Bay, o. the Coast Survey and Of Dr.. |
Y. K. Brooks Of the Johns Hopkins University,
orcibly and conclusiYey proved the existence
II disastrous condition of affairs, aud sugges-
ed possible method of alienation, as original
IS the plan was full Of hope to those interested
n oysters and oyster culture. In brief, Master
francis Win,lOw of the navy had shown that the
,rolfic oyster beds OF the greatest oyster produ.
lng area in the world were being rapidly des-
!
y proving the possibility of artificial fecunda.
ion of the oyster egg, indicated a remedy for
he impoverished areas Which would obvIate the
ecessity Of severer protective laws or restriction
1 the fishery. Without considering the seienti-
e aspect Of Brooks discoveries, their practical
vas apparently 30 great that other methods Of
arc sting the deterioration Of the oyster beds
ere passed By. Brooks had taken the genera
We fluids from male aud female oysters, had
rought them in contact, and found his expert.
tent successful. The resultant embrYos lived
Z six and eight days; developed the various
-gans Of the body. aud the valves OF the shell;
ut they did not attach themselves 10 any OBJ
Ct, aud after living a short time invariably
led. These were the results OF the initial ex.
.nments, necessarily tentative in character.
byiously they were iull OF promise, but uniOr-
lnately the promise has not yet been fulfilled. 1
DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED.
In the following year Mr.. Ryder, Of the Fish q
ommisson, repeated in Chesapeake Bay Dr.. b
rocks, experiments, and Mr.. WinslOw perform. h
ii6e work on the coast Of Spain with one Of b
nrupean varieties. In eighteen eightJ-two the >
were again prosecuted, DR., Brooks c
Indsr the auspices OF the Johns Hopkins Uui
rsit,) and Messrs Ryder, Med 'nald and VIM
~ (uuder the Unite States Fish COmmis,lOal !
cling engaged iu striving to solve the problem,
1t without results OF material importance. /,
ners is no difficulty in securing the impregna- I,
IN Of the eggs nor IN maintaining the embryo