The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-01-21
Something About Oysters.

DO1nOUA111S ANOuO " ClNAE
We are glad to learn that Gov
Bowie, of Maryland, purposes to lend
his executive influence to the de.
velopment of the fisheries of the
basin of the Chesapeake, which, in
Guiding oysters, shad and herring,
are of more commercial value than
all the inland fisheries of all the
States combined, and which will
eventually form source Of wealth
for the states Of Maryland and Vir-
ginia, the enormous prospective
value of which is at this time diff
cult to estimate.
We have recently had a glance at
an able report lately furnished by
Capt. Davidson, in command of the
Oyster Police for the State of Mary
land, which certainly deserves the
honors Of print as document of
almost universal interest
From this report we CLEAN some Gu
rious facts, as new to US as we sup
pose they are to majority of our
readers. Though there are ex-
cellent oysters at different points
along the gulf coast, there are eli
matte and other reasons forbidding
their ever becoming of commercial
importance, while the beds north of
the Delaware are all supplied from
the Chesapeake; hence, Maryland
and Virginia may be said to vir-
tually possess the monopoly of the
oyster trade of the North American
continent. The area in Maryland
covered more or less densely with
these fish is immense, amounting to
something near $50 square miles
and on the surface they are found
at depths varying from four to
sixty feet.
The oyster is said to be hernia.
phroditic. It spawns in the months
of April, May, June, July and Au.
gust, and is wonderfully prolific
each mature mollusk producing
annually one million of young, but
as wise check upon this marvel
lous fscundity, nature has created
for it innumerable enemies, among
which may be enumerated the star
fish, the drill, the Wrinkle, the crab
the drum-fish, and the sheepshead
but far more destructive than al
these combined, is the reckless use
of the heavy iron dreges, which
dragged over the beds night anC
day, in every direction, in shallow
as well as in deep water, from Sep.
TENDER to June, destroys thousands
| of oysters for one taken; indeed so
destructive is this process, as now
carried on, that the oyster fisheries
of the Chesapeake, like those OF
France and England, will soon cease
to be productive, and great source
| Of wealth lost to the state. Withou
| prescribing the dredge altogether
its use should be rigidly restricted
| to daylight, and to water too deeI
to be sounded by the tongs.
We learn from Captain David
sons report that the number O.
oysters 1egitimately taken with thu
dredge, Ito say nothing of thos
taken in violation of the law,
within the waters of Maryland
amounted last year to 6,305,00
bushels, while those taken b
licensed canoes and for private us
amounted to 3, 729.000 bushels, Whic
gives an aggregate Of 100000
bushels as the annual product of tn
:, Maryland beds, and it is confdentl
believed by those who have mad
this subject study, that unde
; regulations such as are now so sue
5 cessful III France, this produC
might be increased ten-fold, an
the fisheries would afford employ
! ment to 10000 laborers.
Abiding in his report to the pro
fits of oyster culture, Capital
Davidson writes as follows:
know of no enterprise which
more remunerative, and which Civ
less anxiety to the certainty of +,
suits, if ordinary personal attentio
is given to the business. AlmO:
every bend in our shores, protecte
: from the storms, is a mine {
wealth, if the efforts of our peop
can Only be turned in that direction
Few people not engaged in I'll
trade are aware how rapidly oyster
will increase in size and conditIG
when taken from their native bee
in clustered heaps, and then Guile
and planted singly, and permitted
rest undisturbed for season.
know of an instance where 800
were thus treated. costing not e.
ceeding soc. per bushel from first
last, and every bushel of which
now worth in the market 81. 5o."-