The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-11-23

Bowie, OF Maryland, purposes TO lend
hia executive Influence 10 the develop.
ment Of the fisheries Of the Basin OF the
Chesapeake, which, Including oysters,
ahAd and herring, are OF more CONNER
clal value than all the inland fisheries
Of all the States combined, and which
will eventually form source OF wealth
for the SLaLeS Of Maryland and Virginia
the enormous prospective value OF
which 10 nj this time difficult to eBti 4.
mate.
We have recently had o glance at an
able report lately furnished by Captain
Davidson, In command OF the Oyster
Police force Tor the State OF MARYLAND,
which certainly deserves the hOnors OF
print as document oil almost unIver.
sal interest. .'....
From this report we CLEAN some curl
GUS facts, RB new 10 uB % we suppose
they are 10 majority Of our readers,
Though they are excellent oysters ut
different points along Ihe Gulf coast.
there are climatic and other reasons for.
bidding their ever becoming OF conn.,
merolal Importance, while the beda
North OF the Delaware are all supplied
from the Chesapeake: hence, Maryland
and Virginia may be said virtually to
possess the monopoly OF the oyster
trade OF the North American continent.
The area In Maryland covered more or
less densely with these tish ls immense,
amounting 10 something near three
hundred and hfty square miles, and on
this surface they are found at depths
varying from four TO sixty feet.
The oyster is said 70 bs hernia phro.
ditto. II spawns In the months OF
April, May, June, July and August,
and is wonderfully prolific, each ma.
ture mollusk producing annually
about one million Of young, bat 10
wise check upon this marvellous
fecundity, Nature has created for it In
Vulnerable enemies, among which may
be enumerated the star fish, the drill,
the winkle, the crab, the drum fish, and
the sheepshead, but far more desiruc-
tive than all these combined 10 the
reckless use Of the heavy iron dredHes
which, dragged over the beds night
and day, In every direction, Ia shallow
% In deep water, from Seplem Der 10
June, destroys thousand oysters for
one taken; indeed, 30 destructive Ia
this process, as ROp carried on, that the
oyster fisheries Of the Chesapeake, like
those Of France and England, will
soon cease 10 be productive, and u
great source OF wealth be lost 10 the
State. Without prescribing the dredge
altogether, its use should be rlRIdly re-
strtcted 70 daylight, and to water too
deep to be sounded by the tongs.
We learn from Captain DAVldsOn's
report that 1.-The number OF oysters le.
gltimAtely taken with the drsdga ito
say nothing OF those taken Ia VIC.
latlon OF IaW) within the waters
OF Maryland. amounted last year
to ak million three hundred and
i've thouBal bushels, while those
taken by licensed canoes and for prl>
Vate use amounted to three million
seven hundred and twenty-nine thou
sand bushels, which gives an aRgre-
gate OF ten millions OF bushelsraS the
annual product Of the Maryland beds,
and II 10 confidently believed by those
who have made this subject study,
that under regulations such AZ ara now
30 successful In France, this product
might be increased ten. fold, and the
fisheries would give employment to
twenty thousand laborers.
Alludlng In his report 10 the profits
OF oyster culture, Captain Davidson
writes as follows: Il know OF no en-.
teFprise which is more remunerative
and which need give less anxiety as to
certainty OF results, II ordinary person.
al attention is given 10 the business.
Almost every bend OF our shores, pro-
tected from the storms, Is mine OF
wealth, II the efforts OF our people can
ever be turned In that direction. Few
persons not engaged In the trade are
aware how rapidly oysters will increase
In size and condition when taken from
their native beds In their clustered
heaps, and then culled and planted
slngly and permitted To reRt nndIsturb-
ed for season. know OF an Instance
were fifteen Thousand bushels were thus
taken and treated, costing not exceeds
Ing titty cents per bushel from first 10
last, and every bushel OF which Is now
worth In the market one dollar and
tifty csnts.'-TGrf, Field and Farm.
Those who want 10 know more about
oysters than IL to be found 10 the fore.
goIug, can crafty their thirst for knowl.
edge by Visiting Mone's establishment
on Monroe street, where the biggest,
best and freshest Of the delici bi.
valves are always to be had,