The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1891-10-13
OYSTER PLANTING.
How the Natives Are Bred on the
Shore Of Chesapeake Bay.
Interesting Facts Concerning the Growth
and Development of the BIZ
valves -Under the Laws
Protection.

When the Chesapeake FISHERMAN has
put away the tongs and dredge, tied up
his boat and balanced his books in the
spring, he Immediately turns his atten-
ton towards laying out new parks or
rehabilitating the old ones, says the
Philadelphia Times. The close of the
season for oysters in the Chesapeake
bay and its tributaries is from April Is
to September Is, and there is vast
amount of work to be performed ere
the tongman or dredger can again hoist
sail on his pungy or canoe and offer his
cargo for sale in the city markets.
1t has been matter of great concern
among the authorities regarding the de-
pletion of the oyster crop'in Chesapeake
waters by overdredging or through 9TH
er sources OF apparent destruction. But
the enactment of wise laws from time
to time and the rigid enforcement of
the same have in measure checked the
wanton humiliation of the oyster parks,
and thus, while many new ones have
been laid out, the old ones have had
time to recuperate.
The law prohibits the taking of
oysters on Sunday or at night, and dur
ing the. close season not more than five
bushels per day are permitted to be
taken, and no oysters in the shell are
allowed to be sold outside the boundary
of the state of Maryland.
A park consists of five acres of ma
rine territory, which may be selected
by any native first taking out license
for the same, at any convenient point,
so as not to interfere with or obstruct
navigation. The place usually selected
is in the quiescent waters of some cove
or creek, and, if for longing purposes,
in shallow waters and upon as hard a
bottom as it is possible-to secure. Ow-
ing to the remarkable fecundity of the
oyster two or three years is sufficient to
afford paying park. The sandy bot
tom is first covered with several loads
of oyster shells, which are spread about
evenly, to which the spat may adhere
in the process of generation.
The old parks are carefully gone over
with light rake in order to remove
the weeds and the accumulation of
other foreign substances, and clay
pipes, old shoes and pieces of chain
have been taken up to which adhered
from fifty to sixty young fry all the way
from the size of a three-cent piece to a
silver quarter. This ral1ing also has a
tendency to break up the density and
of the oysters and affords
them greater facility to attain their
natural shapes-the elongated shell,
known in oyster parlance as the ''cat's
tongue deriving this abnormal shape
from the fact that compression prevents
its expanding properly during its |
growth, and many curious freaks in
shape of shell are in the museums,
caused by negligence and failure to re-
lieve this density at the proper time,
The spawn OF the female IS reputed |
10 produce over one million young, and
t is during this period that the oyster has
| very thin, dark appearance. tits said
hat if all the spat should mature the
,reeks and coves would be one vast
nine of oyster shells several feet in
thickness. But from the time this spat
lscends to the surface until it finally in
reases in size and weight and settles
Town to the bottom again, it has to en-
.ounter many difficulties, for floating
bout aimlessly on the surface like a
,reat roll of white ribbon, great part
# it is destroyed by storm or by adher-
ng to overhanging tree limbs, or being
aten up by fish; and even after it has
ound resting place on the old parks
md developed into the tiny oyster it is
till pursued by it's relentless enemies,
he starfsh and periwinkle, the latter
'oring through the tender shell and
ucking out the oyster, In midsummer
his spat may be seen drifting about far
ut on the waters of the Delaware and
bays, and has frequently
zen the object of great curiosity among
An old native at Roaring Point, who
yas preparing to go out to his park,
,as asked what he thought of the re-
orts concerning the depletion of the
ysters in the Chesapeake bay, re-
loved his pipe from his mouth, and,
18th smile, said:
IF the authorities enforce the law as
ley have been doing and the people
i've more intelligent attention to the
lltivation of the oyster it will be very
Iany years yet before the tongs or
redge fail to take up an oyster in these
alters. Why, bless me, I've no doubt
lere are beds to-day where this drift
'at has settled that have existed for
ears in spots under the waters of the /
~ that we know nothing Of"