The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-04-11
fBy FREDERIC J. HASkIN.)

of Fisheries.
CBy FREDERIC j. HASk1N.)
The United States steamer, THE
Fish Hawk of the United States
Bureau of Fisheries, with a company
Of expert oyster culturists aboard, is
now at work along the coast OF the
Gulf of Mexico. where the men in
charge are instructing the oyster
Of Mississippi regarding the
establishment of artificial oyster beds.
For some time the bureau has realized
that unless some practical measure
be devised for experimenting the nat
ural oyster resources OF the country
the supply VIII become exhausted in
a few years, or at least the oysters
Will become so scarce as to make their
price prohibitive as a common food
product.
Careful experiments lay 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 cur
rent, for, while hey are a salt water
product, the edible oyster also re-
quires q constant supply Of fresh Wa
ter for it's proper development. The
Mississippi, Mobil and other rivers
en1ptying into the Gulf, provide the
thousands of acres of w~ater-coVered
land suitable for oyster culture along
the coast of Louisiana, Mississippi n
Alabama which the Bureau Of Fish
cries is aiding the local authorities
TO develop. Already much has been
accomplished along the Louisiana
coast and over 100000 bushels Of
oysters were produced in that State
last year. The commercial value of
the oyster shipments last year
amounted to s59,74S. These were Sc
cured from a region which hereto
fore 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, saltwater colored land, which
the Bureau 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 a soft bottom. there can
be no propagation because young
oysters dropped in the mud are soon
suffocated. SO these soft, muddy
bottoms must be 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 known
to oyster men as "cultch.'
Preparing a new oyster bed re-
quires two sowings or paintings, both
Of which are made from boats on
top of the water. First the cultch
is sown in quantities sufficient to
meet the demand Of the soil, which
varies at different 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 amoUT of cultcll per acre. to be
added. The quantity will average
from 400 to 500 bushels. The area
TO be planted is carefully staked out
and then small boats or scoWS are
piled across it at regular intervals
and the cultch is shoVeled into the
water, making as eve a distribution
as possible.
A few weeks after the cultch is
sown the oyster planting comes.
Some OYSTER rover purchase small
seed oysters and raise them to mar
ketable size. Others grow. their own
seed in these prepared beds from
sprat or spraWn obtained from brood
ing oysters. which are planted as
regularly as possible in order that
the sprawn may be evenly distributed.
The are Of oyster bed closely re-
sembleS gardening. The beds must
be Well cleared of weeds and other
foreign matter before planting. At
ter the seed is sown it still requires
enemie of the baby oyster is the star
fish, which is found in great numbers
along most oyster beds. To get trid
Of this pest a sort Of mop called
q tangle has been invented. It con
sists Of a series Of punches of cotton
tom Of the bed e~ntangling the star
fish in its threads. 1t is drawn up al
intervals and cleaned by immersins