Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1879-12-11
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Crigfeid Leader, reviewing pamphlet
on the Oyster Interest Of Maryland,
published under the auspices Of the u.
s. Coast Survey, collates many impor-
tant facts thereirom connected with oys-
ter beds, here and else here, and gives
many interesting particulars which are
Is applicable to oyster beds in our wa
tiers az 10 The waters Of Tangier and Po-
eomoke Sounds.
"It - well known, by none so well IS
by ourselves. that the oyster beds in
Tangier and Pocomoke Sounds are fast
going to rack and ruin. Changes great
and extensive have taken place within
but few years, while the depletion oil
the beds since their 6Fst discovery has
been almost unexampled in either this
country or abroad.
II required seventy years to destroy
The oyster beds in Caucale Bay, on the
coast of France, where the oysters in
1900 were q yard thick. In 1870 there
were none. From The beds near the
Island OF Aliron, on the west coast oil
France, 10 1854 over 100000 oys-
tiers were taken. Ia 1868 only 400, 900
could be found, or itrequired nine years
to destroy those beds. The English
oyster fishery near FSlw0rth employed
with profit over 800 boats in 1865, and
each boat could take from ten 10 twelve
thousand oysters a day. In 1876 only
forty men and less than forty boats could
find employment, and soon that num-
Der, small as it Is. could only obtain one
hundred oysters a day; thus only ten
wears were required to destroy those
beds.
In the FIRST instance, that ofthe beds
Of Caucale, the parallel with our own
beds is nearer. The beds were mag
niiicently stocked at the close Of the
wars Of Napoleon; the fishing Was ex-
tensive and without restraint; large
numbers Of persons were engaged In
the various branches of the fishery and
in the transportation of oysters to mar
ket: the returns were significant. 10
1S43 over twenty millions OF oysters
we're removed from beds OF an area Of
one hundred and City acres. In 1870
q lew poor fishermen, their wives and
children picked up Q miserable exis-
tence and lew scattered oysters along
the beaches between tide marks; the
beds themselves were not considered
worth the fishing; the bottom was q
complete wreck
II the modern appliances for taking
oysters had been in use no one will
deny that at least three times as many
oysters could have been taken in Tan
ger Sound twenty-five years ago as at
The present day, or that five or six times
a. many in Pocomoke. In other words.
The oysters in Tangier have diminished
two-thirds and in PocOmoke four-fifths.
How long it will take TO reduce the re-
manning fraction IL is not difficult to inn
aglne. II took thirty years TO destroy
the French fishery. How nearly des-
troyed the Pocomoke beds are we all
knew, and yet thirty years ago their
depletion seemed an impossIbilitY.
The European oyster spawns about
enc million year. It's estimated that
Of the spawn Of one thousand and four
hundred oysters, amounting to about
500, nOO, 900 embryos or young. only four
hundred and twen.y-One arrived at matu-
turity, or that out OF |, 1S5, 900 spat that be-
gun life tOgetheronl one survives in the
struggle OF existence. Any argument
based upon the large number Of young
spawned by the oyster and on that ac-
count supporting The theory thatthe de-
pietion of the beds Is impossible, -
therefore untenable.
The number ofyoung spawned by the
American variety OF oysters is not def
nitely known, but il is probably much
larger than the number spawned by the
European variety. The early life Of
.the young Is, however. 80 very differ
ent, and the circumstances aud condi-
tons surrounding the mature oyster 50
dissimilar, that il Is as vet impossible
70 say whether q larger or smaller pro-
portion OF the young brood survive and
become mature. Indeed. little or moth
ing is known with regard 70 the Ameri-
can oyster, and such o. has been aseer-
tanned Is in marked distinction TO the
better known foreign type.
There can be little use in making
comparisons. except so far Is in this:
We have seen thai oyster beds can aud
lare heen aulekIv and RAPIDLY DESTROY