Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-07


planters are busy. Curious wire-net
~ baskets filled with oyster shells and
stone-incrusted egg-caSe filters
being cast into the coastal waters.
For it is Summertime when the future oyster
supply is cared for.
For years the oyster crop" has been dwin-
ding. study of figures compiled by the United
States Bureau of Fisheries indicates the de-
cline Fewer than 10000 900 bushels of oysters
were produced for market in 1929. Compare
this figure with Is 900 bushels in 1885, u.s.
500 900 in 1901. There has been steady de-
cline in the oysters of the Nation since the
beginning of the century.
Take the Chesapeake Bay industry, for ex-
ample Though the bay is not the only great
oyster producing area in the United States. it
is, withal, the largest one. In 1880 more than
1900 900 bushels of oysters were taken from
the bay. In 1890 16,5OO,O0o bushels were
yielded by its waters. BY 1901 the supply Of
oysters from the Chesapeake had dropped TO
100000 bushels. In 1910 the figure stood at
10000 900 bushels. At the present time only
little more than 100000 bushels of oysters
come from this source.
NO wonder the succulent biyalve is finding
friend in man these days. II man is to eat
oysters, he must give the oyster chance. The
little Ginger must be nursed fed and trans
ferred to isolated feeding ground for a
maturity period estimated at from two to four
years
A THOUGH millions of eggs are produced by
q single female oyster in q Summer. the
number that survive is very small. One scien-
tist, by laboriouS figuring and observation, has
computed that q newly Matched oyster has one
chance In 900 to grow to adult size Fish
gobble them by thousands as they swim about
In the surface waters and once attached to their
future home beneath the surface they are at
tackled by starfish drills and other marine enc
mics. Boring snail look upon them as delicious
tidbitS to be sucked from their Shells after
cutting q hole through this outer covering.
In order TO discover new methods for main
tanning and increasing the oyster supply of the
country, the United States Bureau of Fisheries
Is conducting extensive studies and experiments
along the coasts of Massachusetts,, Connecticut,
New York and other shore States under the
direction of DR.. p. s. Galtsoff. These studies
and experiments have resulted in two new
methods being developed for increasing the pro-
ment of new devices for reducing the loss OF
seed oysters and the efacient use of intensive
areas Of propagation.
The first method involves the use OF some
unique material. oyster Shells hitherto used
extensively In building roads, are now bought
by States and placed in wire bags which are
cast into oyster areas Baby oysters attach
themselves to the shells. The bags in time
give way to the action of the salt water and
the tides. The bits of shell within are scat
tered each piece with an oyster or more at
tached to it, Thus are the oysters dispersed
and kept from clusters. For oysters when young
and ready to settle down will cling to any
thing. even to each other, retarding their
growth and destroying themselves by sinking
into the mud because OF their own weight.
Where wire bags containing oyster shells are