Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-07-24
The Oyster Trade--The OutIOOk--The
supply. &c, Ae.

In view of the near approach of the
oyster season, and as our people de-
pend so much upon this means for a
livelihood we called upon several of our
oyster packers to give us their views in
regard to the trade, the supply, pros
poets, &c, &c. They state that the
recent laws passed by our Legisla-
ture regulating the catch of oysters
will cause an entire change in the
business. As the law prevents all
summer planting, and the taking of
oysters at any time after the 18th of
April, to the lst Of September, and
not allowing dredging until the LIST of
November, it is expected that oys-
tiers will bring higher prices than in
the past. Our police system now,
with Capt. Waddell at its head, is most
efficient and thoroughly disciplined,
and the law will be carried out TO the
letter, and there will be seldom, if
any, violations so when the dredger
is confined TO the beds where he is al
lowed to work, the market will not be
glutted as it has been in seasons past.
Again it is expected that there will
not be as many vessels engaged in
dredging. Formerly, no license was
required to dredge, in the Potomac
River, but now there is, and the laws
regulating the taking of oy sters there
are the same as ours, and the police
of the States of both Maryland and
Virginia have power to arrest.
The Legislature of the Valley State
last winter, also passed very strict
laws in regard to her oyster beds,
and, as the waters of the State of
Virginia and the Potomac river have,
in the past, been a great source of
supply, it will prevent SO many
oysters from being on the market
Our informant states that oystermen,
however, anticipate very much
higher prices than they will realize
Oysters will really not bring much
higher prices then they have in the
past, but the price and the demand
will be steady; but there will be no
gluts, and market overstocked as
formerly when they brought nothing
at all /; because so much attention
has been given in the past four or
five years to the cultivation of oysters
in the northern waters, and which
has been so successful, and also, i'm
mense beds of oysters having
been discovered of the most supe-
rior quality in "Mobile Bay" and
also, in the waters of the "Carolinas,"
which are being worked by Northern
capitalists the demand from the wa
tiers of the Chesapeake Bay has been
considerably decreased. The cost of
transportation from mobile Bay" is
much less than from the East indeed
the State of Maryland, in the past
two years, has lost and will continue
to lose, a great part of her oyster
trade. For this reason, that in spite
of the fact that oysters will not be so
plentiful as in the past, yet they will
not bring a much higher price.
Again, if the prices on account of
the scarcity would have to be advan-
ced, the consumption in the West
would be very much curtailed.
Several gentlemen recently, who
are interested in the business, in or
der to acquaint themselves with the
prospects of the supply visited all the
rivers and creeks on both sides of the
bay, also in Virginia and the Poto-
mae river. They find that the oys-
tiers everywhere are in most excellent
condition and there is every prospect
of an immense yield. Everywhere
the most active preparations are be-
ing made to be ready by the first of
September: Hundreds of small boats
have been built and many who have
not heretofore been engaged in
longing, will now engage in it. They
say, because of the rest that oysters
have had during the summer months,
it will cause the greatest improve
ment in the beds The oysters on
the bars and in the rivers adjacent to
Annapolis are in a most excellent
condition and will be plentiful. There
is an excellent opportunity for our
young men who are idle and out of
employment, to do well. They can
make from eighteen to thirty dollars
per week. The oyster packers of