The leader., 1898-10-05


gion, where found that, on the brush
used as collectors, the spat would
catch from point about the middle
clear to the top of the twigs. | am
hopeful now of having chance to try
1t at several points. The government
will make experiments, l think, at St.
Jerome's creek and Woods Holl, and
then it is likely / can get private con-
Germ to attempt experiments"
Noting at once the scientific ability
Of this student of oyster-ology, the
correspondent asked his name, and he
replied: my name is Reiter; but that
has nothing to do with the case. If
you are interested in oyster culture
just look al the subject, and don't pay
any attention TO me. l am not an oys-
ter. Look at these little fellows who
are growing in their little ways, solely
to become food for the big animal,
Man. who rules the world. We are de-
veloping oysters according TO a scien-
tific system"
"Yes, but what is your system doing
to produce results?"
1--WE are spatting. Do you under
stand that? We are spatting."
That naturally evoked the question::
What do you mean by spatting? and
he said:
This system is purely system of
spat culture to rear oysters for plant
ing, or seed oysters as they are called.
By the time the spawning season is
over, or at the end of 90 days, the
spats arc ready TO be taken out with
the shells to which they are attached
and transferred to the bed, where they
will be allowed to stay until ready for
the market. The spawning season is
over in so days. The oyster will double
its bulk every year, and in four years
be ready for the table.
an France and other countries oys-
ter cultivation has been carried on for
long time, and, in fact, there is reason
to believe that in the days of the
Caesars attention was given to this
matter. The French government in
1851 made experiments in spat culture
by strewing shells on the bottom.
"Oyster culture by this method is
now carried on in Long Island sound,
where a Mr.. Rowe has 5000 acres I'M
der cultivation.
THE term fry, as used by me, means
free swimming embryo. The existence
of the embryo is divided up into three
stages. First, there Is the egg. which
when fortified passes through its
early stage from three to ten hours,
and then becomes fry. The next stage
is when the fry settles and fastens IT.
self to some object, makes its home
for life, and then it becomes spat. The
fry swims until it finally meets some
object to which 1t can attach itself.
Once fixed, its wandering existence
is at an end.
"You see these Shells" said the sci
enlist, taking up a number of small
oyster shells. These l took from
buoy poles at Cohasset. There you see
these little specks," he continued,
pointing out tiny little dots on the
shells-so small as hardly to be visible.
They are little oysters, or spats. l
will show them to you under the mi
croscope."
One of the shells was adjusted under
the glass and the specks at once APP
peared to the eye as mollusks of quite
respectable size.
"You could range 500 of the eggs or
fry in the space of an inch," said the
scientist. The oyster lives "a hours
as free swimming embryo. Then 1t
begins to form it's valves. and. II it has
not attached itself, sinks to the bot
tom and perishes there"
as not the loss or waste OF the fry,
when left to natures processes. very
larger" asked the reporter.
The losses prior to fixation are very
great. By enroomusly increasing the
| cultch or spatting surface, however.
we can reduce the loss to the mini
mum. Prof. Moebius made calcula-
ton as to the oysters of Europe. that
only one egg out of l. 100000 ever comes
to maturity. As the American oyster
is fully four times as prolific. the losses,
| under natural conditions, are rela-
lively much greater. The oyster has
great many enemies, such as the
drills and star fishes. Then they are
| often so crowded that thousands are
killed"
HAS observation shown that there
Is need of recourse tn artificial cui-
ture to keep up the supply?"
| .sThe results of last years investiga-
tions by the Fish Hawk showed that.
We found that nearly all the oysters
were understood. The beds were by
no means exhausted, but they were
SO closely fished that they were not
given time to recuperate. We exam
ined oysters at over 90 different points
in the Chesapeake"
| The next time you eat an oyster
/ stew. think of the amount of scientific
work which is required to keep our
tables supplied with this popular food
| rroduct. SMITH ID. FRY.