, 1877-12-02

OF oysters and oystcr-beds by restrictive meas
ures' close times and the like; and NIL the while
Tue oyster crop has fallen off and the prices Of
oysters nus risen; they were $40 bushcl in
lsG: anu more than seven times as much in
1915 In like manner It has been ATTEMPTED in
this country to thwart, BY various cuactments,
the interested ingenuity" Of oystvrmen, acl
pected. The cure lies in the yery opposite lircc-
lion; II the depletion of oul uYstcr-bet,s is to
be stayed, II constant supply sufficient to meet
INC stcauity-1ncreasing demand is to be main
1ainea, II Will be by increasing the interest
personal, pecuniary interest-of oysteymeu in
the oTster-6eds, not BY trying to t1wart or re-
I strain IT, Oystcrmen must be allowed to be
something more than oyster-catchers. The
! owncrless butfaloes are doomed to ccrtain ex-
termination; they are nobody's property aud
everybody's prey: So likewise are The ow1erless
! oysters.
The Oyster Commissioners Of the Chesa-
| peake predict flat, if the steady exhaustion
o. the eyster-heas OF Maryland and Virginia con-
J tlnucs, the entire stock will be used up within
ilalf century, and We may he su1e that no dim
mutton ~ the demand Tor oysters will cut short
the work Of destruction. That the predicted
| cAIermlnatlon OF the oyster waters, or any OF
| pen, however,
W. HAVE NOT THE SLIGHTEST PEAR.
| Inc Natlnn cannot afford it, and will pre-
| VGht 1t ty giving to oyster-growcrs The best Of
! a'l lei'courasse1nent,-tre and protection.
Tho country is well stocked with domestic
! cattle, and there is little danger Of The supply
running outv Suppose they were suddenly de-
clared to be con;ncn property, as the oysters
are: and no one allowed to ho!h Il permanent
personal interest In any he suffered to remain
aliye,-how long would the supply be kept up!
| In the ease Ut cattle, The interested ingenuity
OF man is wisely conservative; their numbers
are increased ana their quality improved by
careful selection aud cultivation. Why should
Ina x.H +kn
Government were to authorize the survey uni
sale of shallows,-in other words. land suitable
for oyster-faruing,--and make tho orstcr-grcw-
er's title to the ground he stocks aud the crop
he raises as secure as the upland farmers is
would the quantity or the quality ot thu oyster
crop be endangered?
The effect prullucel by a partial and
Uncertain title, such us has been granted along
the Connecticut shore, certainly does not point
that way While the perpctuitY Of oyster-btls
Oh common ground has everywhere been serious
" Threatened. . shl0owy title to cultivated
ground has sulficed to cover mics ami miles
Of once unprodnctiye sound-bea with the finest
oysters III the world. Were the. title made
good enough to borrow money on there would
be nn luck Of capital to stock the rest Of the
Sound, or Of men to cultivate its inviting aeres
now untitled.
Our excellent and scrviceablc National
this matter: An act OF Congress author
izing the sale Of soundiugs along the coast
exclusively for oystcr-fartning,
WOULD HELP THE WORK ENORMOUSLY. :
The coastwi5e States, bv supplementary enact
nen.s, could easily place the oyster-larmcr OH
an equal footing with the ordinary agricultu1ist
with great advantage to them and to the couI-
try ut large. There would be somc delicate
questions OF loc:!l Jurisdiction to settle, and
som: ccsn.nnn rights to ordinary fisheries to pe
protected, but these need not lead to any scri- !
u.s difficulties. Nor would navigation be ill
tGrfcr1a with or i1noedcd in the least.
The productive area watch might be
added to the public domain by thus taking in
the cultiTaUlc coAst, is simply enormous. 1t
lies st our very doors, and the cost OF reclaim
ing it would be small compared with the wealth
it would return, Oncc assured that their grow
ing crops would be as secure against trespass
US tho upland iarsucrs, the oyster-lneu Of Long
Island Sound wouia go on extending their |
operations until every acre OF the Sound-bed
would be brought under cultivation. Tie |
depth Of the waters would offer no obstacle, !
either to the growth Of oysters or their Dropa-
cation, siuee the finest natural oysters the |
Sound has produced were found III the deepest !
depression Of that submerged valley, and tue !
american method Of cultivation answers as well
III deep water as in shallow. BY the gradual !
extension OF cultivated ground, tho slarfish and
more aud more under subj1ction; aud, with the |
lcssening OF the risk and 1osses the cDst OF J
raising oysters would be reduced, and the price |
would fall accordingly. The employ1ncnt OF
slrelscS would more than make up for the extra !
labor OF dredging in deep water; aud, with the |
improvement in modes and means oi working |
likely TO come fforn the cultivation Of large
areas. til: protuctivencss OF the grounds
ALREADY WORTH MORE, ACRE Fer ACRE, THAN |
Tils BEST FARMLAND
might be greatly increased.
Ttlt demand for American oysters at |
home and abroad ADVANCES even more rapidly !
than the supply. And, If every acre OF :,valia- |
bic coast-watcr. IRON Cape Cod to the lno::til |
tiou, it is doubtful whether the supply Of oys-
tcrs could ever outruu the demand. VAST as
the present commercial and ali;ne;ltary impor-
tnncc Of the oyster trade has become, it is hut |
i'll its infancy. It is capable OF almost intiui:e !
extension; and, when the supply is drawn. mt
merely or chiefly from unprotected natural :
hed5, chance-So%n and accidentally developed, |
but from larger areas Systematically stocked, |
cultiyuteu, ami defended against yermin anu I
the uuregulatcd greed Of man, tn. oyster
crop will rank auloug the first Of Amcri-
now does III point OF excellence. It is nou7-
ished BY the inexhaustible sea; It steadily en-
riches instead vi isnpoverishltl5 the land: Ani
the average yield is several tltnes lnose abun-
daat and relnu,leratiye than any gral1,-crop. IL
is less than national folly, therefore, to pride
ourselves OH practical thrift, while sighting
field Of productive industry so promising rs
this Is still worse to discourage honest enter
prise in it, HIS has been dune hitherto by legal
restraints. What has already been accomplished
in tho face OF popular opposition, financial dill
:,1ltY anu needless risk, is guarantee that tile
icl.f is well worth working. anil also that ther':
would be no lack Ut Worktneu were they oitcteo
proper encouragement.