The evening world., 1891-08-12
THE PLANTING OF OYSTERS.
How the Natives Are Bred on the
Shore Of Chesapeake Bay.
Interesting Facts Concerning the
Growth of the Bivnlves.

When the Chesapeake oysterman has
put away the tongs and dredge. tied up
his boat and balanced his books In the
Spring. he Immediately turns his atten-
tion towards laying out new parks or re-
hRbilitating the old ones, say the Phils-
delphia Times. The close of the season
for oysters in the Chesapeake Bay and Its
tributaries is from April 10 TO Sept. 10,
and there is q vast amount of work to bo
performed ere the tongman or dredger
can again hoist sail on his punRy or canoe
and offer his cargo for sale in the city
markets.
1t has been q matter Of great concern
I among the authorities regarding the de-
pletion of the oyster crop in Chesapeake
waters by overdredginR or through other
sources of apparent destruction. But
the enactment of wise laws from time to
time and the rigid enforcement of the
same have i'll measure checked the
! wanton annihilation of the oyster parks.
, and thus, while many aew ones have been
laid out, the old ones have had time 20
recuperate.
The law prohibits the taking of oysters
on Sunday or at night, and during 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 marine
territory, which may be selected by any
native first taking out license for the
same at any convenient point, 30 as not
to interfere with or obstruct navigation.
The place usually selected iB in the quies-
cent waters of some cove or creek, and.
If for longing purposes, in shallow waters
and upon as hard q bottom rs it is pos
sible to secure. Owing to the remarkable
fecundity of the oysters two or three
years is sufficient to afford paying park.
The sandy bottom is first covered with
several londs of oyster shells, which
are spread about evenly, 20 which the
spat may adhere in the process of genera
ton.
The old parks are carefully gone over
with light rake i'll 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 q
three cent piece to a silver quarter.
This raking also has II tendency to break
up the density and compactness of the
oysters and affords them greater facility
to attain their natural shapes-the elon-
Rnteu smell, Known IN oyster parlhnCe hB
the - cats tongue" deriving this abnor-
NAL shape from the fact that compression
prevents its expanding properly during
its growth, md many curious freaks in
shape of shell are in the museums, caused
by negligence and failure 70 relieve this
density at tn proper time.
The spawn of the female Is reputed to
produce over one million young. and il is
during this period that the oyster has q
very thin. dark appearance. 1t is said
that If all the spat should mature the
creeks and coves would bo one vast mine
OF oyster shells several feet in thickness.
But from the time this spat ascends to
the surface until it finally increases in
size and weight aud settles down to the
bottom again it has to encounter many
difficulties for floating about aimlessly
on the surface like a great roll of white
ribbon a great part Of il is destroyed by
storm or by adhering to overhaDging tree
limbs, or being eaten up by fish; and
even after IL has found q resting place on
the old parks and developed into the tiny
oyster it is still pursued by its relentless
enemies, the starfish and periwinkle, the
latter boring through the tender shell and
sucking out the oyster.
In midsummer this spat may be seen
drifting about far out on the waters of
the Delaware and Chesapeake bays, and
has frequently been the object of great
curiosity amcng excursionists.
An old native of Roaring Point, who
was preparing to go out to his park, was
asked what he thought of the reports con-
cerning the depletion of the oysters in
the Chesapeake Bay, removed bis pipe
from his mouth. md with n smile, said:
:" If the authorities enforce the law rs
they have been doing and the people give
more intelligent attention to the cultiva-
tion of the oyster 1t will be very many
years yet before the tongs or dredge fail
to take up an oyster in these waters.
Why, bless me, I've no doubt there are
beds to-day where this drift spat has set
tied that have existed for years in spots
under the waters of the bay that we know
nothing Of"