The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-12-15


than 10000 men and women are en-
gagged in the oyster industry; and the
capital invested in vessels, boats, ap-
paratps, oyster lands, and cultural
establishments aggregate many mil
lion dollars.
One Hundred Species.
"At least 100 species arc known,
With rather wide range in size,
shape, habits, flavor and food value.
Oysters produce an immense number
Of young in order to compensate for
The heavy mortality that orcucs, par
ticularly in The early months. After
The oyster attains a size that is visi-
BILE to the unaided eye, 1t is incapa-
BILE of changing it's position. This
lis in marked contrast with the new
!y-born young, which Isl free-swim-
ming creature, floating about with
tides and currents. or the millions:
cf microscopic young liberated by u
Jingle full-grOwn oyster, only an en-
ceedingly small percentage become
attached to a suitable bottom, form
4 shell, and enter on career that
Iyill terminate on the table in two
to four years. All the young that
tall on muddy or soft sandy bot
.om, or on surfaces that are Shiny,
are lost. Oyster culture therefore
aims primarily TO conserve the free
winning young, which It accom-
Dlishes by sowing clean oyster-shelis
ar other 'cultch to which the 'spat'
can attach, or by collecting tbs
young on tiles or brush raised above
The bottom or suspended between the
urface and bottom.
1.-THE cultivation OF oysters IS
made necessary by the exhaustion OIL
| The natural beds; it is made possible
by private ownership or control OF
Ioyster-producing bottoms; and 1t is
greatly facilitated by the peculiar
susceptibility OF oysters to increase
and improvement by artificial means.
At every stage in its career the oys-
ter is attacked by a horde of danger
Gus enemies. Before it becomes at
tached, the delicate oyster fry is en-
tcnsively consumed by adult oysters
and various other shellfish' When
lit attains its she'll, new set OF SELL
fish enemies, provided with drills
begin their attacks and extract the
soft parts through minute holes made
lin valves. 1t is remarkable that "a
weak creature like the starfish
should be able to prey on an animal
SO strongly firtified as an oyster
IOther enemies of the grown oyster
are fishes with powerful jaws armed
with crushing teeth. "
Leading Oyster States.
| an any consideration OF the
i worlds oyster industry the United
States necessarily receives first and
most prominent mention. The oys-
tier is taken in every coastal state ex-
cept one, It Is the chief fishery PROD
net in Is states and 1t is the most ca
,ensively cultivated Of our aquatic
animals. The seven leading oyster
states arc Rhode Island, Connecticut
INcw York, New Jersey, Maryland
Virginia and Louisiana, with VIZ
ginia, Maryland and Connecticut
leading in the order named. Inc
body Of water that produces. more
oysters than any other body in the
world is the Chesapeake Bay, with an
output of over IL million bushels
valued at more than $4,25O, 900. Oys.
ter culture In the United States con-
sists in ~ acquiring suitable sub
merged bottom. (2) cleaning ana
preparing that bottom for the growtA
Of oysters, ca sowing thereon shells
or other material for the attachment
land growth of young oysters, (4) IN
surfing the production of larval oys'
| ters by the, proximity Of natural OF
PLANTED beds Of adull oys'eIs' ~
protecting tile oyster beds from enc
| mics, co transp1anting as the occa-
sion requires to prevent overcrowd-
ling and to facilitate growth and fat
lening, and t7) culling and sorting
for market.
;eThe federal government does not
hatch oysters artificially and dis
tribute them by tho billion for the
stocking of public and private waters
as it does food fishes, ltgives prac-
teal aid to the states and co-6perates
with them In determining the physi.
cal and biological characters OF the
oyster grounds, in conducting ex-
detrimental and model planting opera
lions, in recommending oyster legts-
lation, and in giving disinterested ex-
pert advice OH the various problems