The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1908-11-13
INN 4 LARcE J7EAN OYSTER OREDGE NIAlV

i estimated at inward of OOOO but as many of them
are employed part of the year in other fisheries farming
ETC. definite statistics are not available Baltimore Is the
most extensive market ana New lofh Has eohsiue'"'
export trade with Europe.
The native oyster of the Pacific coast is small thin
shelled species In 1901 159340 bushels valued at VOL
1872 were marketed principally on the racine coast
The European oyster is found from Italy to Norway
It is a round thinsheed species, more shapey lhah he
American Species and hermaphroditic, first female anu
afterwards male 1t is less prolific than its American ra
tive and the young undergo considerable development Ill
the mantle chamber of the mother 1t thrlVes IN wafer
of full or almost full organic density -
The oysters of Japan occur in shallow and mouefa'en
bracksh or moderately salt water throughout the "hoe
archpelago and very large salt water species is ouna
in deep water Many other species of Osrea are lounu
in temperate and tropical throughout the world
The oyster family appears to have mad us ofsa
in some mperfectly known forms. me famlly Is iou
also in the Perman In the Triassc 1t Is repfeseh'eu
by strongly plicated form, Alectryonia whlch otA
becomes more prominent in the Jurassc and CretaceouS
There are also the common arcuae shells OF drypna'
and EXogyra in the Jurassic and Cretaceous osuea
itself is known in the Mesozoc but it attained us MAX
mum of size and abundance in the Tertiary Inc sahu!
mars of this period in the southwestern Unlteo o'a'
often contain great numbers of very large speclmen'
of oysters Owing the exhaustion of the natural oea
and their inability supply the demand for oysters
has been found necessary to resort to artificial mehou
of production effecting, ID increase in the number VI
eggs fertilized GU an increase in the surfaces Haa
for iXaton and also of the number OF Spat al,achhe
CD the saving of spat and young oysters WHICH u
naturally fall victims enemies and adverse physical
conditions: and CD the utilization of barren ootom,
and naturally unavailable food supplies. But sman
part of the area under water suitable for oysters no.
been utilized bv nature mainly lack of suitable DoaeS
for the attachment of the young. In the United Sa's'
such barren bottom is utilized by clearing 1t OF all rup
bish and either planting Cultch to collect the spa'
else young oysters seed), that they may improve y
size shape and quality under conditions SAFER an'
more favorable than in their original environment N
certain places either method may succeed, but comon'
locality Is better adapted to one than the otner.
The most suitable bottom for oyster culture cohsis'' "
firm mud or of firm subStratum with thin surface .
soft mud but stable sandy bottom is usually dehcieD
in food loose sand drifts and the oysters anu
very soft mud ngufs and stiles them or produces :.
feror elonpate stock Mud naturally too soft may "
utilized by distributing over 1t shells, sand, or othe
teral which resting on or the surface funlsns'
firm foundation upon which the growing oyster "l
repose in security For spatcollecting is frequen
advantageous to hard mud, gravel or rocky Do'
in shoal water i'll adapted to adult oysters from u,
6ciency of food The bottom being properly prepate.
and its boundaries marked with stakes buoys, e'
system NAV be adopted to accord with circumstance
Generally seedpanng is certain in its results an
Yields quicker returns to the grower Seedoysters 'a.
from "blisers onehalf inch in diameter to indiVous
almost ready for market but ordinarily they are De~e
one and three inches long They obtained from p'
ers making specially of seed production or from ha'
beds their cost varying from ten cents to 81 per Duo
the larger culed stock, separate, well shaped anu y
from rubbish bringing higher prices and giving the 20