Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-10-06
OYSTER FARMING.
CULTIVATING THE BIVALVE IN
LONG ISLAND SOUND.
Difficulties That Attend the Harvest
ing of II Crop in Twenty five
Feet of Water - The
Oysters Enemies

Bay and tributary waters supplied and
controlled the New York market. But
when the demand for smaller oysters
began to increase it was found neces-
sary to cultivate them, and the result
of this has been the establishment OF
sixty miles of "oyster farms along
the Long Island Sound shore, the in
vestment of an enormous capital, the
building up of an important industry
and the transfer Of the control of the
New York market from Chesapeake
Bay to Long Island Sound. Force of
circumstances is bringing the Mary
land oystermen into the business of
cultivation, as the natural growth
oysters in Maryland waters are steadily
thinning out, and even to-day an oyster
would be an expensive luxury but for
the timely beginning of oyster farm
ing in Long Island Sound about five
years ago,
There is everything in a name in
the clam and oyster trade All small
clans are known as Little Necks
There are probably five million bush
els eaten annually, but there are not
more than five thousand bushels dug
from Little Neck Bay, from which the
name is derived. The same applies to
Blue Point and Shrewsbury oysters.
Large capital is required to success
fully engage in oyster farming and
great risks are taken, although per
haps no greater than the truck farmer
takes on land. The capital must be
locked mp for three years after the
first planting before the 'farmer' Is
rewarded by harvest, but then, If oil
conditions are favorable, his dredges
bring up a small fortune from an or
dinary sized bed The Long Island
farmers are all getting the fever for
submarine farming since they have
had opportunity to see how much
money is in the business.
Long, patient and expensive work is
necessary to properly plant an oyster
bed. After the survey is made and
the buoys marking the boundary lines
are placed in their proper positions,
the bottom is thoroughly dredged and
all refuse removed. 1t often takes
three months TO dredge bed OF 100
acres. and the average expense OF the
crew and dredge is $50 Il day. Then
tbe bottom is lined with clean, broken
stone or oyster shells. If shells are
used the average is 800 bushels to tn
acre. They are purchased at Balti-
more. and are bought by schooner
loads Mt cost of from six to ten cents
a bushel. It is Of the utmost import
ance that this carpet Of shells be laid
Gin the nick of time" The usual
spawning time for oysters IS from July
30 to August 20. They may be early
or late. according to the degree OF
summer heat. When spawning they
expel white, stringy fluid, which
clings to the clean shells or stones and
in time develops into oysters. When
the spawning begins no time can be
lost in spreading the shells or stones.
An hours delay may cause the loss Of
thousands of dollars, and such losses
have been experienced in a number OF
cases this year, as the unexpected hot
weather in July caused the oysters to
spawn before the farmers were ready
with the shells, which were on the way
from Baltimore and we're of no use or
value when they arrived.
In about six weeks the oyster begins
to take form and then looks like n tiny
bug. The shell begins to grow, and,
if guarded from their natural enemies,
in two years the young oysters cover
the bottom several inches thick. They
are then transplanted to another bed
in a more protected spot to mature,
which requires two years more. The
successful farmer uses three beds, one
for planting and two for maturing,
and thus when once under way he har-
vests a crop each year.
An idea of the profit in this method
may be obtained from the experience
OF farmer who has already amassed q
large fortune in the business. Three
years ago he planted 40, 900 bushels on
a fifty acre bed. This year he has
transferred 20, 900 bushels to a matur
ing bed, which will be double their
present size when mature, making
140, 900 bushels. He left at least 25,
600 bushels on the old bed, which will
also double, making nearly or quite
200, 900 bushels to harvest next year,
at an average price of Sl.1O per
bushel. If there is a fifty acre farm
above water that ever yielded 5000, 900
in four years it is not on record.
But it is not all clear sailing and
simply waiting after the spawn catches
until the oyster is mature. The oyster
and the oyster farmer have four great
enemies storms sufficiently violentko
shift the bottom, star fish, "drilR"
and thieves. AgsirZ---l-> first, fof
course. both are lFis EcOnom, as,ii ". y
a. 49, 4l.-afuls will do better g.,
~ >~16fee teasposnfuls Of any other NJ
: Its superior strength accOmplIshes
aeriui Fesuiss' Jul,