Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-10-02
MATCHING OYSTERS ARTIFIC-
TALLY.

WIS. the Infant Bivalve Looks Like
Their Early Youth and Later Ene-
mf's-
Pierre LoriIlard's steam yacht, Look
ont. so changed that her builder wouldn't
know her. now the property Of the United
states. and detailed, says the New YORK
Tribune. as a dispatch boat for the Fish
Commission. has been placed by Prof.
Baird at the service Ct Fish Commissioner
Eugene q. BlackfoTd, in charge Of the
oyster investigation, that he may visit the
numerous oyster beds in New YORK
waters. Yesterday the commission went
10 Cold Spring harbOT. on the sound, and
took along a number Of scientists TO show
them the methods Of oyster cultivation
and propagation. To investigate the mys-
terics Of oyster farming would open the
ewes Of the pig-breeder and chicken
raiser. and from what was learned OF
the business yesterday. it may be
safely said that it VIII be some
wears before s.fanciers" viii take
fancy to this kind Of pastime. and worry
their brains as 10 how oyster eggs should
be incubated, OF how the young fry
should be housed and reared. A good
hen will Law So eggs in a year. A good
oyster. II well fed and cared for, VIII lay
lbs. 600. 900. But there is no bonanza IN
this. for oyster eggs don't bring quite as
much a dozen as hens eggs, and it Is not
every man who knows whether he is
handling oyster eggs or not. In Matching,
the hen sits on her eggs. The oyster eggs
set themselves, as il were. and hatch into
delightful orphanhOod. They hatch in from
four 10 ten hours, and they are never
ANNOYED with wet feathers. They are
has charge Of the oyster hatchery at Cold
Spring. says that their heads resemble
high-crOWned Derby hat. while their tails
can scarcely be distinguished from hat
Of soft felt with the brim turned down all
around. These beings dispOrt themselves
in the water, are free swimmers for three
or four days, and gradually assume the
shape of round clans. Finally. they
set upon some object in the water,
stone most likely, il one is at hand, and
then take upon themselves the penalty OF
the oyster.
That the oyster has habits none can de-
ny. but il is not certain vet, not even IN
Prof. Rice's mind, what they are. de
feels warranted in saying that they are
moral race. attending strictly TO their own
business. eating to live and living 70 De
eaten. The oyster has two enemies that
prev upon it diligently. as If appointed for
The former. with its five long arms, settles
down upon the bivalve, clutches it as one
would clutch an apple in his hand, taking
care that no portion Of the edge
OF the shell shall remain uncoY-
cred. The enemy watches till
the oyster gets hungry or wants 70 oreatne,
the instant the shell is opened, the star
tish floods the inside Of il with his gastric
Juice, the oyster dies and is eaten. 1t is
not known how long an oyster can keep
its shell closed under these clrcum-
stances. but Prof. Rice found one that re-
NAMED so for eight days under others.
The drill is a snail-like creature that
grows from a capsule deposited on the
shell Of an oyster. and when Of age it be-
gins 10 bore its way into the biYalve's
home. Once in he easily kills the unsGs-
pecung thing. and deyOurs it. 1t takes
the drin at least two weeks to bore
through a shell.
The greed of the Oystermen has depOpu-
lated many of the once famous oyster
beds around New York, and, assisted by
other influences. their deterioration Is
such as TO cause apprehension. Commits
siOner Blackf0rd has sent circulars to all
ovstermen coming to this market contain
ing lj6 pertinent questions upon the de-
teriOratiOn Of the oyster and its causes,
and he expects TO reap harvest of In
formation. He is satisfied that the oyster
can be artifically propagated, and his in
vestigatiOns and experiments Will be
pushed till the end is accomplished.