The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-04-18
RAISING The OYSTER
How the Numbers Of the Gobrmahd's Fa-
Vorlte Arc Increased by Man.
CULTIVATION HAD BECOME NECESSARY
Hceklcss longing Hal Almost Err.
hn"sicd the Natural Bctls-Cttltivh.
ton Docs Not Increase tho Snnl.
bcr Except by Giving Them itooin
In Which 10 Grow. 5

oyster planting and oyster farming
are terms frequently heard lii Norfolk
and throughout tidcwater Virginia, au-
thcntically stated to have been the
birthplace OF the first oyster, but only
u comparative few besides those engag-
Gu III tho Industries know how the work
Is done. They arc really important
modern industries on the Atlantic coast
from the Chesapeake bay at least, as
Tar north as New York, In which MILF
lions Of dollars are invested and which
give employment to thousands or per-
sons. The demand for oysters, which Is
constantly growing, Is at present much
IN excess Of tho natural production,
SO that artificial means OF increasing
the supply are In demand. The oyster
grounds now yield, through the npplica-,
ton OF methods not long discovered, far
more than they would naturally and
II Is said that by proper care they can
be made to produce an almost unlimited
quantity.
tn enrly days before the beds wore
exhausted by reckless using, oysters
were found III great abundance along
the coasts of this country and were OF
Elcnt size and fine quality. lii 1910 two
Dutch writer's in Il journal or Voy-
age to New York" spoke or the abund-
ance of oysters In the ncighborhuod OF
what is now Brooklyn and say that they
found them large nnd full, many being
more than n foot long. Even Mt that
time New York oysters, certainly and
perhaps Chesapeake hiyalves rs well.
were exported to the West Indies, either
picked or fried or imbeddcl in q solid
air-,ight mass or butter -,ai3 Oh
SOURCES OF SUPPLY.
There are three sources of oyster sup
ply: Natural beds, planting and farm
Ing Planting consists of. placing the
young seed oysters upon bottoms fav-.
CRADLE for their growth. Oyster farm
ing Is the rearing Of oysters from the
cSE. The natural bed Is an oyster rock,
ON which The oysters are packed SO near
together that they cannot lie flat but
grow vertically, side by side
by planting the number Of oysters arc
not increased but the condition Of
growth are made more favorable since
on the natural beds the young oysters
tastcn themselves SO close together and
IN such great numbers that the graWth
or one means the destruction Of hun
drcGS OF others. Planted oysters also
grow more rapidly and are OF better.
quality.
METHODS OF FARMING.
1t may be stated here that the in
come Of the State of Virginia from tho
tax levied upon every boat engaged iii
taking oysters from the natural beds
owned by the State last year amount
ed TO nearly $35,O00.
There are several methods OF oyster
farming. One of the most successful
consists in placing clean oyster shells
upon the Bottom just before the spawn
ing season, for the attachment of the
young, and then placing among these
shells few mature oysters to furnish
the eggs. as soon as the young grow
large enough they are distributed over
the bottom.
This is the system which has been fol-
loved for more than fifty years in the
East river. New York city Although
the development OF oyster farming on
n large scale is modern the Italians
nave raised oysters in small quantities
for more than 1000 years