Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-11-27
CULTIVATION Of TAg oYsTEa
How the Crop in Long Island Sound Is
Regularly Planted ANA Dag


How the Crop in Long Island Sound Is
Regularly Planted and Dug.
Science is about to apply its attention o
the propagation OF oysters in order thia
every one may be able to buy as many Of
the sueculent bivalves as be wants to eat
without extravaganza.
AT present the supply Of oysters Is bnt a
fraction Of the demand What the fsh
commission desires to accomplish is Co
bring the mollusk within tho reach Of all.
To accomplish this end ii proposes to es-
tablish at least one station devoted to
breeding oysters by methods newly in
vented
The young oysters thus obtained, called
''spat," are TO be planted IN all the oyster
producing waters Of the United States. Up
north. on the Connecticut shore Of Long
Island sound, and in tho rivers and estu-
aries of New York state D. fishermen are
most anxious to bo assisted in this way;
down south a widespread desire N felt to
make use Of fresh scientific discoveries for
the purpose of creating new Industry. 1t
is only in Maryland chat an entire apathy
seems to be felt on the subject, and the
oyster beds of the Chesapeake are being
permitted TO 80 to ruin, simply because
the state does not think them worth keep
ing up. Within few years, if things con
tinue to go on as they do now, the Chesa-
peake will have ceased to be an oyster
ground. At all event, SO the fish commits
sion says.
The French people were the first to in
troduce oyster culture upon commercial
basis, and In this country the state of Con-
necticut led the way in taking it up. Ten
years ago law was passed there directing
the state to sell, as If it were so much real
estate divided into lots, the bottom of
Long Island sound outside of the natural
oyster beds near shore Since that time
oyster farming has become large indus
try in Connecticut.
Oyster beds for many miles out into the
sound arecultivated, just as potato fields
might be, and with great profit to those
who pay proper attention to the work
Such beds are not usually self sustaining
as are the natural ones inshore, but by
planting them each year with young oys-
tiers they are made to produce several hun
dredfold. The production Of young oysters
Cor planting in this way has grown to be
an important part of the business, and the
planting Of them has been reduced to q
most scientific basis.
To begin with, in making new oyster
ground, basis is established by covering
the bottom over the area to be planted with
n material called "cultch." This cultch is
usually composed chiefly of oyster and
clam shells or any stuff OF that sort. Thin
shells of whatever description that may be
most readily obtainable are desirable for
the purpose inasmuch as they soon rot
and fall to pieces thus distributing the in
diyidual oysters attached to them. 1t is
Important that the young oysters should
be distributed rs much rs possible, because
when a lot Of them attach themselves to a
single permanent object, like a small rock,
they oyergrow one another and aggregate
themselves intoa mass less useful CONNER
cially, while their growth is itself impeded
incidentally. A kind of limestone called
'bluestone,o from the Hudson, is found
very useful for this purpose, smashed up
into about tho size employed for macada-
MIXING roads.
Having in this way prepared the bottom
for what is to be an oyster bed you must
next procure your oysters. You can buy
them of dredgcrs, who SCI them to you in
the shape of old shells and all sorts of such
truck scooped up from below, which is
found to be incrustod with young oysters
of various ages. From thirty cents to fifty
cents bushel is charged for this material
in the crude and you simply throw it into
B. the water and let the oysters do the rest
AS the shells decay they will distribute
themselves, and soon you will have an
oyster bed Of your own. Each year you
dump in rs many moro bushels of young
oysters as may be necessary to recruit the
supply and your crop is rs sure as any
other so long rs you take care to keep
away the enemies which may attacl. it. If
you know how to manage the thing you
will have n number Of beds, permitting
the occupants of some to grow big while
you dredge in others.-W Washington Star.