The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-06-30
GROWING OYSTERS ON TRESS.

\ new industry has originated III 20
quonoc river, an arm of Long Island
Sound penetrating the Connecticut coast
| a few miles east of New London. For
| years the Poquonoe oyster has enjoyed
an exceptional reputation in the New
York market, outranking the famous
''Blue Points," and bringing $40 per bar
rel when the latter brought not more
than s.. But the Poquonoc bivalve is
scarce. The bottom of the river in which
| lie has his habitat consists for the most
| part of thick black mud, in which, of
course, he cannot exist. Only a strip of
bottom here and there, which happens to
be clean, OF narrow margin OF the rocky
shore, offers the oyster what his habits
imperatively demand-water free from
dirt, and objects to which he can attach
himself while attaining his growth. To
Connecticut man who had studied the
oysters tastes it occurred few years
ago that by introducing objects above
the mud, upon which the young oyster
| might fasten at the moment when he
ceased to be swimming animal, he
| would be able to grow oysters through
out the length and breadth of the Po-
quonoc river. His idea was not new
one, but his application of it was novel.
Going to the forest. he cut down great
number of tough, wiry white birches and
II, ,,,,l IS Ia
setting them at an angle with the cur
rent. The young trees were from ID to
20 feet long. The butts were thrust 9 or
4 feet deep into the mud, and their tops
appeared above water at low tide. Ac-
cording to the Oyster Commissioner re-
port each female oyster produces each
season from 5000, 600 to 40, O0O 600 eggs,
which float with the current, aud when
Matched are known as spat. The spat of
the Poquonoc found the birch trees Just
what they wanted, and settled on them
in millions. Twigs, branches and trunk
were speckled with patches composed Of
the young bivalves. At first mere specks
in size, at the end of six weeks from the
time of attaching themselves they had
grown to the size of quarter of dol
lai. At the end of two years an acre of
birch brush it was found would produce
1000 bushels of full grown oysters. The
trees were loaded heavily with their crop
of growing shells, but the rigid birch
kept them clear of the mud. Such was
the success of the experiment that oys-
ter-farming became popular along the
Poquonoc river. In a short time it was
planted on both sides, from its head a
long distance seward, with brches,
offering 4 welcome resting place to spat
which would, without this resource, have
tloated out to sea to perish or become the
food of other denizens of the water. One
crop of fine oysters was gathered and the
forest was replanted, when an incident
occurred which ended fora time the bus
mess of growing oysters on trees. In
May, 1881, scarlet fever and diphtheria
broke out along the Poquonoc. 1t ragged
during the spring and summer. Eighty
per cent. of the cases died. Some fanci-
full person then conceived the remarkable
idea that the plague was due to the oys-
ter bushes, and the question of removing
them was agitated. The local Board of
Health traced the diseases to the village
pigStieS, but the Chairman of the State
Board of Health being summoned to the
scene, and being disposed, like some
other sanitarians, to magnify the reason
for his existence, declared that the oyster
bushes had poisoned the air, and ordered
their removal. The local Board in pro-
ceeding to act, were met by an injunc-
ton served by the fishermen. The Board
perSevered, nevertheless, and the trees
were removed. They were covered thick
with the luscious bivalves, most of the
crop of 1879 being fit for market, and
many of the following year were in like
condition. As many as twenty-five bush
els were found on single tree. The
Board of Health has been sued for $685.
900 damages by an owner of one of the
birch patches. -Balt0. Sun.