The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1877-12-06

s1arcer Year by year, and unless
steps were taken for Its protection.
must eventually disappear. The
answer was that of i~ncredulous con-
tempt. Why it was said, the spat
Of a single oyster would impregnate
an ere of oyster ground. 1t was
impossible to eXterminate them. it
was impossible even to reduce their
quantity. But the true answer is
given now: when oysters sell in
London at four cents apiece. or
seventy-tiye cents a dozen. or sew
entv dollars a bushel and if the
market depends upon the English
supply, prices will 90 still higher.
But dependence will not RESI- upon
that supply and this leads Us di-
rectly to u object. That supply
will be sought IN the United States.
and viii be found on the coasts Of
North Carolina and Virginia. Can
these States stand the drain of a
European demand superadded TO
that of every city, town and village
Of a country with a population Of
forty-fiye millions, unless stringent
laws are enacted to regulate the
times and modes Of taking. and to
restrict III some measure the lrrup-
ton of oyster fishermen not resi-
dents of the State Surely not.
and a wise foresight counselS mea-
sures that will accomplish those
objects.
Speed Of transportation, i'm
proved modes Of preservation, the
certainty of large profits, Will speed
lily create such a foreign demand
that the bottoms OF all our bays and
creeks Will be dredged as clean as
the English coasts, and leave the
shells, already heaped up IN the
huge Indian mounds along the coast
the only memorials of a lost luxury.
To check this wasteful and ruinous
depreciation, steps may, and ought
to be, taken by which the use of the
luxury may be preserved to us,
turned to a source OF immense and
continuous profit, and at the same
time crafty the palates of Il trans
atlantic friends.
To effect this it will be necessary
in the first place to define and re-
gulate the times at which the oys-
ter may be legally taken. Once,
the old prejudice that oysters may
not be eaten in any of the months
that did not contain the letter K
was enough. 1t may yet be a suf-
fcient safeguard against home
abuse. But the introduction OF ice
in packing makes it easy to trans
port them at any season /; and the
same caprice or the same luxury
which demands strawberries and
green peas in January will exact
oysters in July and August. Now,
these two months, in addition to
those of May and June, are the very
months of reproduction, and old
prejudice against consumption IN
these months came to the aid Of
nature to keep up the supply. But
modern epicurism is as selfish and
e%xtravagant as that of the Roman
Emperors with their repasts of
nightingale's brains, and must be
gratified. if the whole animal crea-
ton is sacrificed, unless cool, calcu-
lating and rigid legislation defines
the limits Of its qualification.
In connection with the protection
of the oyster during the prohibited
season, may be considered the ques-
ton of artificial increase and pro
pagation. There are many spots
along our shores where the oyster,
already existing. may be immensely
increased by planting and by pro
: lection of the young beds. We be-
lieve that this has of late years been
done in New River, in the county
of Onslow and elsewhere, but to al
: extent very limited in proportion
to capacity and favor Of location.
The system is nonew onein France
: it has been lately introduced in Eng
land, and must become necessary IL
: this country, since it Is easy to estl
| mate how soon twenty-five million;
l-l11- +,1-or fr0r, Cha-aIaol