The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-02-12
The Oyster Trade and Oyster Navy Of
MARYLAND

Capt. Hunter Davidson, Commander of
the State Oyster Police Force. or g Oyster
Navy" rs it had been derisivcly termed,
has made q report of that earn of tho
service which has been published by the
Legislature. The Report contains much
information in regard to the coveted bivalve.
portions of which we publish, and which
the majority Of our readers will doubtless
find new and interesting. From this report
which appears to be entirely reliable, it is
evident that the oyster needs the protection
OF the State authority, or it will erelong be
entirely cleaned out of the Maryland wa
tiers of the Chesapeake and its tributaries.
Comparatively few persons have any idea
of the extent and wealth of the oyster
trade of the State, and the large revenue
it might he made to yield the State were it
properly managed. We copy from the Re
port as follows:
1t is warmly argued by persons who are
interested in the dredging business, that
that mode of taking the Oyster improves
its condition, and increases the product of
the beds. This has been true, though only
to s very limited extent, but, as dredging
is carried on at present in the waters of
Maryland, quite the contrary effect is pro-
duced. Where the Oyster-beds are very
tickly covered, and a latter years growth
is over-layinging and choking that of u
former tas is seen in Virginia, but not in
Mary land 50 that this process going on
from year to year. is forming on the beds
those conglumcrate masses of shell and
marine deposit termed Oyster rocks fire.
qucntly rising from 4 depth of sixty feet of
water to within 4 few feet of the surface
then to stop this process and As farmer
would thin and weed his plants. use the
drcdge and spread the beds. giving more
space to the Oysters to feed and dcvelope
themselves, is undoubtedly an advantage.
But when this spreadin. and thinning has
been done sufficiently, and we look at the
other extreme, as in our waters, and find
five hundred and sixty-threc vessels. each
having two dredges. that when filled weigh
enc hundred and fifty pounds each, max
ing eleven hundred and twenty-six hnrr0tcs,
dragged by vessels some of nearly sixty
tons burthen. under full sail, over the beds
night and day, without regard to the size
or condition of the Oyster. we can readily
see that the work is greatly overdone.
The Oyster is hermaphi oditic. and each
adult is SAID to generate about one million
young a year, which is doubtless the truth.
But the enemies of this delicious mollusk
are so numerous and actively at work. that
one in a million Of the annual production
does not come to maturity.
In the water, the star fish. the drill, the
Wrinkle the crab. the drum fish, the sheep
sheud, the dog fish and tie ray, during
their season subsist i'll a great measure
upon the Oyster; but the unreasonable
hand OF man gives it no rest and is great
er than all other enemies combined
The Oyster elects its spat from April to
about August, and the old Oysters, shells.
and other congenial substances, on the
beds, soon become covered with young
Oysters, the shells of which do rot attain
sufficient size or strength to admit of
handling, or other disturbance, until about
the first of November: but the heavy har-
roar-like drcdgeS commence dragging over
the beds the first of September and keep
up until June, grinding and attrition of
Thousand Oysters to every one that is taken,
thus crushing ont the life of the young,
filling up the open mouths of all. with the
bottom, covering them up, and turning and
leaving them i'll every unnatural position.
The tengs, OF rakes, have no such effect,
they touch the beds in one small spot. gath
er on that spot alone, ard bring up nearly
all they touch, and, moreover, are not so
heavy, or roughly used, as to crush or in
jure either the old or young Oyster.
When Oyser-heds have become reduced
to a certain degree, in our waters, they will
soon cease to produce at all. although the
ground may be the most congenial for the
purpose, as the cruStacea, shell, and other
fish, which prey upon them, will destroy
the young as fast as they assume tangi-
BILE form, and many of the old will meet
the same fate, and the rest die out. There
fore, where bedding is undertaken, the
Oyster must either be well protected, or
else sowh III such quantities as to enable
the increase to getahead Of the destruction.
Last season there wer. five hundred and
sixty-three vessels licensed to dredge for
| Oysters, averaging twenty -three tons each,
carrying about eight hundred bushels at a
load. and making two loads a month to
market for, say seven months of the year:
summing up six mi lion, three hundred and
five thousand, six hundred bushels taken
by the dredgers.
During the same period, there were nine
teen hundred and seven canoes licensed,
each taking about five bushels per day for
twen'y-siX days of the month, and seven
! months OF the year. making one million.
seven hundred and thirty-tive thousand
three hundred and seventy bushels taking
| by the tongmen. for sale, which with. say
two million bushels taken during the sea
son for "plivate USE will give an aggre-
gate of about ten million bushels taken
from the beds of Maryland annually.
| These Oysters will average not less than
thirty-five cents per bushe which gives,
in round numbers, three million. five hun
dred thousand dollars as the animal value
of our Oyster product, from which the law
only enables us to derive Il revenue of about
forty thousand dollars above expenses.
The least estimate | have heard, of the
| quantity of Oysters sold in the city of Bal
| timore a season, is five million bushels and
if, as the present law Intended, one cent
per bushel is required to be paid. 10y
amending the above mentioned sections,)
fifty thousand dollars can be collected from
/ this source.
We have but one small, slow steamer,
with which to visit twenty-five different
| OyeSter localities scattered sometimes far
apart, over tortuous routes, the extremes
of which are one hundred miles from north
to south, by seventy five from cast to west.
| mention these facts here, because the peo-
pie have been led to expect too much of
this force, without considering the mper-
fections of the law under which it operates.
The extent of our OySter-betls is abol
three hundred and seventy-three square
miles, ninety-two of which are closely Gov
cred, and the remainder scattering.
This field could he made to give protita-
BILE employment to twenty Thousand labor
ers. in few years from this, under the adj
ministration of proper laws.
We would call the public attention