The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-08-31
ov.ter-Red Exhaustion.
INVESTIGATION AND REPORT BY THE CANNED
GOODS EXCHANGE.

GOODS EXCHANGE.
baltimore SUM-
With September the oyster season VIII
open again. AS the industry Is Oh very
great importance to Baltimore. the Canned
Goods Exchange recently sent out through
It's special committee several hundred cir
culars TO residents OF the tidewater cotin-
ties OF Maryland and Virginia asking re-
plies TO questions with the view 10 ascer-
tain whether the oyster-beds snow IN
creased or decreased productiyeness, the
causes OF exhaustion, and the remedy for
The evil. Several hundred replies were re-
ceiyed conveying much information in re-
gard to the condition OF the oyster supply
and the causes Of its great diminution. A
resume of the information received Is as
follows:
The opinion is unanimous that ,he oys-
ter-supply Is largely diminishing through
out the whole area OF the chesapeake pay
and It's tributaries, and the expression ~
often used that il something Is not done
without delay to stop the evil the rum VIII
be permanently beyond repair. The causes
OF exhaustion Of the beds assigned are,
mainly: The destruction OF the spawn by
those who operate under the provisions OF
the law which allows five bushels per day
to be taken for planting purposes, II being
Indisputable that millions OF oysters can be
destroyed in an hour during the spawning
season by a single boat. The disturbance OF
the oysters during the summer (Which Is
the growing season., under the same
| law, is also q great evil. The spawning
season begins about the last week IN
April-May being the principal timc-and
dredging, longing, or scraplng works an
Inhalation. Instances are cited OF where
new logs being towed up the rivers during
May become covered with the oyster
spawn. This occurs in no Other month,
and will not happen to old logs, as they
are too Shiny to hold the spawn. Where
the natural rocks and bars have disappear
ed reefs or winrows OF shells should be
thrown across the bottom OF the streams
Mt right angles TO the current, and the
spawn or spat will attach TO them, and
here they require undisturbed time to
grow. Another great evil, the taking OF
! seed-oysters out OF the bay to northern
grounds, is furnishing ammunition to COM
mercial rivals for our own destruction, as
If robs our natural magazines for the bene-
fit OF their artificial ones. The great size
OF many OF the dredging-boats, and the
immense weight OF the larger dredgers,
are also SAID TO be causes OF much evil, as
more oysters are crushed or buried and
smothered i'm the mud than are taken, and
the grounds and bars are utterly ruined.
Opinions regarding the sufiiciency OF the
existing laws differ considerably, many
saving they are not what are required I;
others that they are sufficient il enforced,
and many that the police-boats are not nu-
merous enough, whilst some asserrtha the
oyster navy is mere political machine.
1t is said by all that in one way the present
law causes great mischief, as vessels steal a
load from forbidden grounds at night, and
then, TO avoid detection, sail ont into free
water to GULL thus sacrificing all the seed,
which will perish in the mud, whereas,
il culled on the rock where taken the sIp-
ply would continue.
Protection of any kind is regarded as
folly il seed and small oysters are allowed
to be taken at any time for commercial pur-
poses.
The remedy for the evil must be simple.
general, and adopted both by Maryland
and Virginia. A close season, smaller
boats, lighter drcdges, retention OF the
spat or seed in the State, more police-bOats,
and responsibility for illegal taking to be
more direct and general, are some OF the
suggestions made. The committee are earn
estly studying the situation, and it is pro-
bable that in a few weeks they may be able
to offer some substitute for the present
laws that will meet all the requirements,
and save the great speciality OF our State
and eity from the ruin that is impending.