Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-04-04
OYSTER CULTURE
DR.. Caswe|| Graves Studies in
North Carolina Waters.
Many Species "rriani Life These Furnish
Food For the Oyster and arc u Nc
cessay Condition of Successful Plant
ing.

The following from the Baltimore
sun relates 20 oyster culture in North
Carolina waters. but the Virginan-
Pilot reproduces it because it contains
much that will interest Il large number
Of people in the Tidewater Section of
Virginia.
DR.. Caswel Grave. who received his
degree of PHI. d. ut Johns Hopkins
University last year, has lust returned
to baltimore from Beaufort, y. c..
where he has been since September .en
gagged with the United States Fish
Commission in studying the conditions
for cultivating oysters. DIR. Grave was
awarded the Bruce fellowship in bio
losy last spring, but resigned it and
| accepted the station at Beaufort in
stead. He will return Thursday to
North Carolina, where he will continue
his work under the North Carolina
Fish Commission.
Most of DR. Graves investigations
were conducted in and about Beaufort
straits and ut the adjacent Moorehead
CITY, upon l'oSue sound The United
States Government conducted the work
with the object of Introducing oyster
painting and cultivation as ii is con-
Quoted further North and which is re-
sarded as the only way in which the
supply of oysters can be maintained.
Dr. Graves work was mostly micro
SCOPE, and consisted of minute investi-
cations of the food giving quality of
the water in different sections This
FOOD which supports the oyster con-
sistS OF number Of species of micro
scoptc plants upon which the oyster
lives.
DR.. Grave said yesterday that he
had discovered 40 species of the plant
food in North Carolina. there being
lo,oGO forms known in all They are
known to the scientist as diatoms and
are the simplest form of life, being
uniccllular, and are found both deep in
Tie Water and near the surface. The
latter forms especially become the food
for what are known as the coon" oys-
tiers, from their habit OF hanging to
reeds and sticks near the surface.
where they are uncovered between
tides. 1t is not known how they swim,
though they evidently have some loco
motory faculties. 1t takes a year to
make IL perfect test Of their food giving
Qualities. as some only stay day or
so at one place 1t is the fossilzed
shells of these creatures which, packed
into dense beds. form the keselguhr
used in making dynamite and the tri-
poll used in polishing compounds
Dr. Grave emphasized the fact al
ready aSitated in many Southern
States where there is IL seacoast. name
~, the ever-growing necessity for the
State TO provide for the taking up and
planting OF oyster beds. In North Car
DINA, said DR.. Grave, as else where. the
proposition has met with great objec-
ton from those who are too lazy to
plant oysters and who wish to drain
the state OF this resource without pro-
viding any way for its continuation.
In the North the oyster lands are
staked out. and whoever wishes to
have as good oysters as his neighbor
must continue to plant. And yet all
the oyster lands do not fall into the
hands OF wealthy packers as is some
times alleged. but there are many of
moderate circumstances who raise oys-
tiers upon their little waterfront or
small bed that they have purchased.