Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1948-11-04
I Oyster Farming

the Department of Tidewater Fish
cries. The fact is, however, that
the major part of the States pres
ent oyster harvest, as in the past,
comes from those bars that are
sustaining their production on
shell deposits laid down many
years ago. Although the States
efforts can only be considered as a
substantial contribution, these OPP
erations have clearly proven ac-
cepted methods of successful oys-
ter farming. This indicates the
States limited efforts, which have
been restricted by funds available,
are only for the purpose of estab-
fishing that our main source of
supply comes from bars where the
oysters are growing without the
aid of man and taken from the
public domain by the same type
implements used since the begin
ming of the industry.
Oyster farming, like farming of
the land, is a matter of applying
mans best information and knowl-
edge to obtain greater yields than
normally occur under natural con-
ditions. When applied to the oys-
ter industry our objective is to
realize the greatest possible pro-
duction from the potential grow
ing bottoms. In order to do this we
must know something of the oys-
ter's reproductive and growing
characteristics under natural con-
ditions and how man might inter-
vene and improve on these proc
esses to the end that increased
yields are obtained.
AS previously stated all bars do
not reproduce uniformly. The in
ability of some bars to maintain
successfully their own population,
and in addition to provide a mar
gin for harvesting, is the limiting
factor in producing oysters from
natural growth. 1t is obvious there
fore that if management of oyster
bars is to achieve substantially
larger harvests than occur from
natural growth, methods must be
devised to overcome the lack of
Nsetting of the young on many bars
which are known to be suitable for
growing excellent oysters. 1t has
also been previously indicated that
oyster bars in some areas will set
an .abnormally large number of
small oysters on shell material,
though these same bars are not
considered desirable growing bars.
One method of oyster farming
consists of putting shells over
board in large quantities on bars
where experience has indicated
that favorable sets occur regular
ly. After setting has occurred, the
shells with the small oysters at
tached are moved to growing bars
where they remain until mature
for harvesting. Utilizing each type
of bar in accordance with its capa-
bilities is plan of management
or farming practice that is best
calculated to utilize thousands of
acres of bottom that would other
wise be unproductive.
Shell planting directly on grow
ing bars is another type of farm
ing which is applied to self-sus-
tanning areas that are of consider
able Importance in Maryland wa
ters. There is a relatively large
acreage of bars that fall within
the classification of self-sustain-
ing where sufficient sets of young
oysters regularly occur to main
tain production if sufficient cultch
material is provided for the young
oysters to attach during the
spawning season. This cultch is
furnished by oyster shells applied
regularly to replace that which is
removed in the harvesting opera
tons, disintegration and other
losses.
The self-sustaining bars are
limited largely to longing areas,
so that the mechanics of harvest
ing require the lifting to the sur
face of all material within the
grasp of the tongs when they are
lowered to the bottom. Obviously,
on bar where there are quanti-
ties of shells and oysters of vari-
Gus sizes the longer handles a con-
siderable volume of unmarketable
material. 1t is important, there
fore, that the returning of the
necessary shells to these self-sus-
tanning bars be done in small
quantities applied frequently rath-
err than larger quantities less fire.
quently so as to Tighten the burden