The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1907-04-05
Oyster Culture.

Judge A. McC. Mathewson, who foI
a number of years was connected with
the Board of Shell Fish Commissioners
of Connecticut, III speaking of the best
methods to be adopted in operating the
new oyster law in Maryl md, said:
1--WE have i'll Connecticut 5000 acres
of natural oyster beds. The trouble
which we encountered was in defining
these beds and drawing the distinction
between the natural beds and barren
bottoms. | understand that the same
problems confront the Maryland Com
mission and from the same causes. When,
however, we established the line OUT
troubles were over The Supreme Court
of this State rendered a decision confirm,
ing the boundaries of the natural oyster
beds which had been defined by the Legis.
lature, and as soon as these exact boun,
Diary lines were established the rest was
easy. Your Maryland Commission will
make its task easy if it will definitely,
finally and resolutely fix the boundaries
of the natural beds. After We had estab
lished these boundaries, the laying out o
the barren lands became an easy task
The planters took up the land which was
absolutely worthless and have transfer m.
ed it into valuable oyster beds.
THE greatest problem which the Nd airy,
land Commission must settle, and settle
amicably and at once, is the controversy
between what we call the natural
growthcrs" and the cultivators. 1t
ought not to be difficult to settle this
question. The natural growthers will
soon be convinced that oyster cultivation
is of the greatest benefit to them, and in
FIVE years they will be surprised that the y
so long opposed cultivation. They will
find their opportunities greatly extende d.
The cultivation Of the oyster has
reached a high degree of development
Each of the larger cultivators has his
various kinds of ground on which the
oyster will set, grow and fatten, and
they are transferred from one kind Of
ground to another in the pre- paration for
the market.
THE ground in the rivers aud harbors
are used mainly for fattening or matur,
ing oysters taken from deep water. AT
New Haven about 200, 900 bushels OF
seed oysters are planted each spring for
fall and winter use. The inshoie oyster
grounds are often valued as high as a
thousand dollars an acre. Some men
who are fortunate enough to own five to
ten acres obtain a comfortable living by
stocking an acre or two each year with
seed oysters bought from the sound
Nong Island) planters. The sales Of
matured oysters amount to one OF
two thousand dollars a year The
capital invested is small and the owners
have much time for other pursuits.
THE system of sound planting, or more
properly, deep water oyster farming, is
more complicated. 1t began in 1865 in
water twenty to twenty fl We feet in depth,
between Fish Island and Norwalk Islands
In 1870 the planters began outside Of
the Norwalk Islands, and a few years
later off New Haven Harbor. The plant,
ing consists in the strewing of three or
four hundred bushels of oyster shells and
thirty to forty bushels of mature oysters
to the acre, to settle on suitable bottoms.
This is done in the months of July and
August. The planting of the old oysters
is often omitted when adjoining beds are
like y to furnish spat for the new bed
Experiments have been made with crush.
ed blue stone. Gravel has also been sown.
The spat will adhere to anything that is
clean; even old rubber boots have been
drcdged up with thriving colony at
tached. If there is no spat, as in 1888
and 1889. which were gloomy years for
the oystermen, the shells or other ma,
teral must be dredged up to be dried on
the docks for use the following season.
If permitted to remain under water they
become Shiny and therefore useless. After
the beds are prepared the planter is kept
busy watching for the star fish and
dredging them up; he is also stirring up
his beds at the proper times. Then
comes the dredging and sale of seed oys,
tiers. The successful planters are at work
the year round, for it is in this as in other
occupations-to we'll directed industry
nothing is denied. Cultivation has been
extended to bottoms, though unfit, ow-
ing too oftness and other causes"