Evening star., 1924-02-24

u, William Firth Wells nf the. Ne"
nYprk State Conservation COMMISSIONS
who has charge of the earliest eNper-
.idrnental work on the process say ;
uvhat il is unfortunate for oyster 'ui-
n1ure that these estuaries are also
Invaluable harbors. about Which popu-
uaation concentrates and polluteS the
,itrdal waters.
., In the February Literary Digest
MANY Of the finest grounds are
restricted by public health resula- !.
utions, and so any efficient ana rel,
t,concorn sanitations as well as lhe
tshellfiGh industries. During the past
-four years the first practical plant
n1as been certified by the New YORK
tEtate conservation commission. F1l-
,deen thousand bushels of oysters nave
tib.en purified commercially, marketed
isrith the approval of the authorities
,,;and consumed by an appreciatlNe
.aH 'aThe purification plant is at In
'ttyood, Long Island There are two
nroncrete basins, with a capacity OF
n.6!000 gallons each. and each capable
n'of handling 200 bushels of oysters.
",,Sterilizing agent. hypochlorite of So
ndium, produced by electrolysis OF the
iisea water.
hHi "Oystcrs TO he treated must be
treasonatly free from mud and or
ganic contamination. Water used
timuSt not be grossly contaminated
n%ith sewage or other filth. The OBJ
mject is to sterilizc the outside OF the
noyster and to allow it, by natural
h,proce"ses, TO free itself of such in
Elected material as may he in its shell
npr body cavities. The edible portion
hof the oyster il not exposed to the
fraction OF any CHEMICALS The animal
lis merely allowed. in - perfectly nat
nnral manner. to wash itself clean in
msterile water"
IN, M According to Wells. the process is
II. ~. B.. h.
,i.fs so low to make it commercially
u-ui ac ticatlc Continuing, Wells states:
m.h m,'.h Severe restrictions as TO the quail
,nity of the water used, the degree OF
.i,pollution OF oysters which may be
l,ikubjected to this process and the
m,,,uualificatiuns of the responsible op-
a,ieiator are imposed by the commits
,,,i1ion. AS the meat Of the oyster is
','ilot touched by chemicals, stronger
,n,,,..dose OF chlorin can be used than is
t,iiDossibre in the sterilization of drink
'.ing water 1t is thought that this
,.,,,proceTs is more thoroughly and more
a,aertainly effective than any to which
i,cther foods are subjected, except
i'those which are completely sterilized
..,,..::Is In certain canning processes"
~" Some time age this column pub
WIiShed an account of the work OF the
.,iibureau of fisheries at Lakeland, Nd
a;1ocated just beyond College Park, on
=, 1.-THE main line Of the Baltimore and
=, ,S3hio railroad. 1t was stated that q.
no. Leech, in charge of the division OF
t,,tfish culture, was very enthusiastic
mover the work accomplished in a
,,,tSery small area of the Lakeland tract
,i,and if the government should buy the
asi&hole area, covering approximately
,,nseventy Nv acres of watered land, that
,s,iliis department would then be able to
.,ssupply fish without calling on the
9..Mississippi valley hatcheries.
.s On February II Representative
aFred Zihlman of Maryland introduced
,asn the House Il bin to- provide for The
~. establishment of a fisheries station
.nfor the propagation of black bass and
nn.ather pond species, including rearing
atponds for shad, to be under the di-
Injection of the bureau of fisheries. For
mathis purpose the bill calls for an ap-
appropriation, of 100000 for the con-
of ponds. buildings. water
,,,,a,$upply, equipment and the acquisition
,,,,of a site. and authorization for the
personnel: One superin-
at $1,000 per annum: one
-" ,maI foreman, at $1,000 per annum, and
,isiour apprentice fish culturists, at $500
d,,lper annum.
- Discussing Representative szihl-