Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-07-21
NO. 1S.
OYSTERS ON TREES
A Novel Industry on tho Poquonoc River
Artificial Propagation OF Oysters on
Trees,


Trees.
Poquonoc river is q broad arm of
Long Island Sound, penetrating the
Connecticut coast few miles east
of New London, dividing the great
level sea meadows for three or four
miles inland. Around the head of
the river, where a trout stream tum
bles over mill-wheel into the slug
gish waters of the estuary, are the
scattered farm houses of Poquonoc
hamlet The tide rises the whole
length of the river. For years the
waters of Poquonoc river have been
noted as producing the most delicious
oysters known in the world. They
outranked the famous "Blue Points,"
selling readily in the New York
restaurants at $40 barrel, when the
latter might be bought for SIS. The
| demand was far in excess of the
supply. On account of the thick
black mud that plastered the bed of
the river, and which is fatal to oyster
culture, only small margin OF the
bottom, rocky strip far in shore,
could be utilized by the oyster
growers. Annually the oysters that
had attached themselves to the rocks
and other distractions over this dis
trict were knocked off and sold at
tempting prices, but there were not
enough of them. 1t was not until
three or four years ago that a specu-
lative and inventive Yankee devised
a plan for extending the oyster cul-
tivation upon the mud bottoms. He
went into his woods and cut down a
forest of tough, wiry white birches,
dragged them to the bank, bore them
in his boat upon the river, and
dumped them overheard, taking care
that they should be left at proper
intervals on the bottom. He had an
idea that the oyster spawn would
come sailing along in the season,
catch hold Il the birch boughs, and
grow into fabulous fortune for him.
The idea was a good one, but not per-
fected. He allowed the birch to lie
suitable time and then pulled them
up. Every bough and twig was
thick with half-grown bivalves, but
the weight of the growing shells had
dragged the brush down into the
fatal mud, and the oysters had per
ished by the million.
Enlightened by his failure he made
another trial He planted the birches
upright on the bottom, setting them
at an angle with the current. The
submerged trees, as described in the
judicial finding, were from fifteen to
twenty feet in length, and the butts,
which were three or four inches in
diameter, were thrust three or four
feet into the mud. Their tops just
pricked through the waves at low
tide 1t is stated in the report of the
Oyster Commission of the State that
each female oyster will produce in
the breeding season from 100000
to 40,O00,000 eggs. which float with
the current and attach themselves as
spat or spawn to any obstacle they
encounter. In the breeding season
that followed the planting of the birch
trees, millions, billions of spat came
floating down the current of Poquonoc
river to the submarine forest It was
Just what they wanted, ready-mad
home. They drifted as thick as snow
flakes to the bending boughs and
plant twigs. Singly, they were so
their legions speckled the trees with
brownish patches. Finally every
branch and twig was covered, but
apparently there was no diminutiOn
in the army Of floating emigrants.
The new. comers multiplied on the
speckles already attached, until there
were dozens in bunch. It requires
two years for an oyster spawn or spat
to reach maturity. From a mere
speck it will grow in month or six
weeks to the size OF a quarter OF a
dollar. In two years an acre of brush
will produce 1000 bushels OF full
grown oysters The trees bowed
under their load of growing shells,
but the elastic wood kept the fruit
clear of the mud. At the end of a
few months it was seen that the
oyster orchards promised an astonish-
ing harvest. All the oyster men
along the river were anxious to try
their hand at the new style of oyster
farming Under the law of the State
the mud bottom on each side of the
100 foot channel was staked and set
off in plats to dozen or more appli
cants, to be planted with oyster
trees. Soon both sides of Poquonoc
river, from its head for long way
toward the sea, was bristling with
sunken birches waving an ebbing and
flowing welcome to the drifting spat.