El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-04-05
~ HE United States steamer, 1.-The
Fish Hawk" of the United
- States hnraan of 6ShAriaS NTH

coast of the gulf of Mexico, where the
men in charge are instructing the oys-
ter growers of Mississippi regarding
the establishment of artificial oyster
beds. For some time the bureau has
realized that unless some practical
measure be devised for supplementing
the natural oyster resources of the
country the supply will become ex-
hausted in a few years, or at least the
oysters will. become so scarce as to
make their price prohibitive as COM
mon food product.
Planted In Artificial Beds.
Careful experiments have proved
that oysters can be raised in artificial
beds prepared under water in a SINH
lar manner to garden beds on dry land.
Oysters can be grown along any sea
coast having fresh water current. for,
while they are a salt water product,
the edible oyster also requires con-
slant supply of fresh water for its
proper development. The Mississippi,
Mobile and other rivers emptying into
1.-THE gulf, provide the thousands of
acres OF water-covered land suitable
for oyster culture along the coast of
Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama
which the bureau of fisheries is aid
ing the local authorities to develop.
Already much has been accomplished
along the Louisiana coast and over
100000 bushels of oysters were pro-
duced in that state last year. The COM
mercial value of the oyster shipments
last year amounted to s59,74S These
were secured from a region which
heretofore had been practically good
for nothing.
The natural oyster beds along the
gulf coast are generally formed upon
reefs and cover comparatively little
space. The oysters are crowded and
imperfect because there is no room for
proper development The miles of low,
alt-water-covered land, which the bu-
reau of fisheries expects to turn into
fertile oyster beds, cannot be utilized
now because of its soft bottom. While
adult oysters can be kept upon soft
bottom, there can be no propagation
because young oysters dropped in the
mud are soon suffocated. So these soft,
muddy bottoms must be hardened by
the Introduction of some firm substance
to support the young bivalve. This
substance may be gravel, concrete. or
broken oyster or clam shells, all of
which are know to oyster men as
"cultch."
Two Paintings Required.
Preparing a new oyster bed requires
two sowings or paintings. both of
HA1Cn are OOdlS Ou tOp VI
the water. First the cultch is sown in
qua ntities sufficient to meet the de-
mand of the soil, which varies at diff
ferent places. The chief work of the
staff on board .the Fish Hawk will be
to examine the soil taken from the
bottom along various parts of the
coast, and determine the amount of
cultch per acre to be added The guam
THY will average from 400 to 500 BUSH
els. The area to be planted is care
fully staken out and then small boats
or scows are piled across it at regular
intervals and the cultch IS shoyeled
into the water, making as even dis
tributiOn as possible.
A few weeks after the cultch is sown
the oyster planting comes. Some oys-
ter growers purchase small seed oys-
tiers and raise them to marketable size
Others grow their own seed IN these
prepared beds from sprat or sprawn
obtaired from broeding oysters, which
are planted as regularly as possible IN
order that the sprawn may be evenly
distributed.
The care OF oyster beds closely re-
sembles gardening. The beds must y
well cleared of weeds ana other fQF-
eign matter before planting. After me
seed is sown it still requires attenfo
and care. One of the enemies of the
baby oyster is the star fish, Wneh Is
found in great numbers alongf most
oyster beds To get rid of thisfpest
sort of mop called q tangle has been
invented 1t consists of Series OF
punches Of cotton waste and is dragged
along the bottom of the bed entang-
ling the star fish in its threads. 1t is
drawn up at intervals and cleaned by
immersing in a tank Of boiling water
which kills the star fish instantly
This instrument has been able to de-
stroy 100000 star fish in a single day
More Difficult in South.
The oyster cultivation in the south
is similar to that in other parts Of the
country, except that the warmer water
produces a greater variety of destruc-
tive animal life to be overcome The
southern oysters now being produced
are excellent IN flavor and superior in
size and quality. The supply is suffi-
cient to meet all home demands. The
large winter resort hotels are no
longer obliged to bring their oysters
from the north. The low water along
the coast being developed by the bu-
reau of fisheries will make the cost OF
production much cheaper than in many
other localities and there is no doubt
that the oyster industry within the
department of southern commerce.
Amusing inquiries concerning the
production of pearls frequently come
to the bureau in connection with its
oyster development. The belief that
valuable pearls are frequently foundi
in edible oysters seems as deeply
rooted as it is erroneous. The pearl
oyster is developed entirely by salt
water and cannot be eaten. The form
alton of the shell of an ordinary oys-
ter gives no resemblance to pearly
substance and there is nothing that
ca n, produce it.
The effort of the government to in
crease the nations fish supply includes
many other activities. No result ac-
complished for years has been more
pleasing to it than the final success
in establishing the Chinook salmon of
the Pacific coast in the waters Of the
east. For nearly 40 years this effort
has been in progress and only during
the last year has there been any indi-
cation of success. Within the past
few months numerous specimens. rang
ing from three TO five pounds in
weight, have been taken at Lake Suna-
pee in New Hampshire. These are
known to be the result of a planting