Morning journal and courier., 1889-08-03
THE USEFUL OYSTER SHELL.

A Million ana . Half Of Bushels of |
 Shells Put to . Coed Use In Long hsi-
 ana sound Waters In she Last Few
 Weeks-How she Work is Dono-Tho
 Hig Growth or . Great Indussry
 Hsreahouts-The oysters Usual Dur-
 alton of Life.
 Great has been the growth of the oyster industry in New Haven in the last twenty
 years, and 1t is still growing. Twenty years
 ago it was thought that oysters would grow
 only at the mouths of rivers or in small
 creeks. The idea of carrying thousands of
 bushels of shells out into deep water, throw
 ing them overheard and expecting that the
 spawn would attach itself to them and ma
 ture into rich, sucoulent bivalves was mat
 ter of theory, not of fact. Oyster shells were
 In fact drug upon the market. The deal
 CTS did not know what to do with them. It
 was during these times that the excellent
 shell roads, which make many of our shore
 drives pleasant and easy, were laid. Fair Haven, lying upon the sloping country at the mouth of Quinnipiac river, and Oyster Point spreading along the borders of quiet pay suitable for growing the bivalves were natur- ally good oenters for the industry. The growing. Before the alert oyster planters learned from experience that their products could be cultivated in deep water beds, these centers were
 the busy places which they now are. With the great advance in the industry, the extent of wide grounds, which lie under the waters of the Sound, were quickly utilized. Better locatiods for big beds were hard to find. The dealers, who had carried on the industry on s sn acoJa In Eatr Havan and Ovater Point, were among the first to realize the inn mense field open to them, and were not slow in seizing the opportunity which their expe- rience and position gave them. They obtain cd what areas they could from the shell fish commission. These bids were marked of
 and made as distinct and dehnable as property upon shore. Each grower the precise lines which divided the watery possessions were as well known as though fences ran along the surface of the Sound. The sandy bottom was strewn and planted with the shells which formerly had been 50 hard to dispose of. In their skillful hands the industry seon grew to remarkable pro- portions. Tho steam oyster dredge was con lowed out into the deep waters of the Sound, where the shells were cast overheard by the million. Improvement followed improve ment, and the industry fourished remarka- bly,, as the pioneer planters began to fill their coffers with wealth from the outcome of their labors.
 As an example of what Is now done, it is estimated by leading oyster grower, that al | least million and half of oyster shells | Haven, Fair Haven and Oyster Point during | the past two months and planted beneath the | waters of the Sound near the oity. To these miles of shells tho spawn floating about ir the water adheres and begins to grow. Al | the end of month or six weeks the young bivalves will have grown to about the size of | . small pea. By next spring they will be as
 then and they have become admirable
 seed oysters. Many thousands of dollars worth of them are then taker up and sold to dealers along | the coast. Providence, Pawtucket, Rockaway | and like places take many of them. They are planted In waters near these places anG there grow to be large, fat, tender and in fact
 all that an oyster lover is so fond ot. The great bulk of the young oysters are. however
 left on the beds here, to grow until ready fol the markets.
 | The number of shells planted by one firm at Oyster Point, Smith Sons, gives an idea oi | what the big dealers do. They have just put | 100, 900 bushels of shells upon their unoccu pied grounds out in the Sound. The worh has occupied a little over two weeks. From 10, ,000 to 15,000 bushels of the shells were shoveled overheard day, distributed along | the empty grounds. The transportation wal accomplished by means of two large barges obtained from Albany. One barge was load. | cd with shells at the dock and was taken out | and cleared upon the beds the next day while | the second barge was being loaded. It took thirty-two men to fill one of these big boats and twelve men to dump the shells upon the beds.
 The ordinary duration of the life of ar oyster Is about ten years. This Is the expe rienoe of the oyster dealers long familiar | with the business. It takes from three tc four years for oysters to grow from thu
 spawn to maturity, according to the location
 where planted. In some locations the oyste grows faster and natures faster than other
 not SO favorable for the oysters prosperity just as trees and plants thrive better in some
 localities than in others. After reaching tn,
 age of ten years the oysters career is run ant
 1t is Rathefsd to its fathers. But few oys ters, however, ,sre allowed to.attain this patri. arohal age, as the remorseless dredge usually finds them and brings them to the deck ol the dredging steamers,