Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1883-12-07
The Oyster COmmtssou.s Report.

The report of the oyster commission, Prof
Brooks and Capt. WaddelI, has been prepared
and sui mi'ted to the Governor, Col. Legg':
name is not attached to the report, he not being
present " hen it was made. The report is an ella
horate one, covering some two hundred pages,
and will be sought after by persons interested
in oysters. The commission call attention early
in the report to the depletion OF the oyster beds,
which they say is not strictly due TO any par
iicular method of gathering oysters nor to the
destruction of the young, nor to the working
of the beds at wrong seasons, bat to the great
demand which comes from improved means of
transportation, and from the growth in our
State Of great commercial industry which has
an unlimited and constantly increasing caInci-
" for utilizing oysters.
/ No means of protection can have any perma-
nenI value unless they are based upon The fact
that the present demand taxes the beds far be-
yond their natural productive power
/ If Mary land is to retain her uySi'r industry
and is 10 have her share of The rapidly lncreaS-
ing business which comes from the growing de-
mand for oysters all over the country, the sup
ply of oysters mus, he artiiciaIly increase d, for
the natural fertility of the beds is not great
enough 10 Withstand even the present drain
upon Them and the demand for oysters will
certainly increase from year 10 year.
They recommend that oyster grounds be d.
vlded into eleven distrlcts, SIX wide and five
narrow Districts properly marked by bouvs,
and that the FIVE narrow districts be closed to
the public for unS pecfed time and be left to
recuperae and also TO furnish a supply OF spat
for the adjacent open districts. The six vide
isl tn lp rr,1 3alte
They also propose that the taking OF oysters
between April lSt and Octoter 18th lie prohb
tied They also recommend thai the burning
of shells for lime and iron and their use for
making roads tie prohibited, and that all oyster
meR lie compelled TO Gull NJ the time hen aud
the place where the Oysters are taken. They
further propose that the five acre law he SO
amended that residents OF the State may take
up any unappropriaied oyster grounds and
have a legal title 10 the same Oyster farming
is strongly recommended They show that in
the East River, near New York also 10 ConueC-
ticut this is being pursued. and Is producing
immense numbers OF oysters one French farm
is cited an example Of The prohtahlenesS OF
this class Of farming, and il said that one crop
OF oysters raised on 49, acres realized - 600
600 From auotheg farm OF 500 ACES 10 900 coo
oysters were taken in slN tides Connecticut Is
said to have excellent l,wS upon this subject,
and the commission say that The departure OF
the oyster industry from NrrN land to Con necli-
cut IN the near future i a c-rtaInty unless We
a OFT measures similar or equivalent 10 those
whlch have in rev yeats rtlstd the oyster
grounds Of that State from position of in>Ig-
nfcance 10 the front rarA The establishment
Of oyster farming jad, 81, in cur waters
would soon douhe the productive area 81 Mary
land il would rapidly increase the wealth and
prosperity o. our people, it would soon remove
all danger OF the loss oi oar oyster. aud II
would ultimately. by taxation 'li~,e the pto-
pie OF the interior OF mos; Of The ia o. he
support OF orr Stale governme;-