Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-09-25
$4,000 ACRES0FSp DIES.
11if h nE Hls sF TnE B
....-., 49, N-Published
CMBNArEAAE bAl. Wy. Servcd
Nrrounding
TSa MiIltoa Bushels OF BivaivSonth.
erea Annually-An Oyster Capa
Producing Millions Each YEAR.

The Maryland oystermep and oyster
packefs are preparing for one OF the big
Gout seasons that they have ever known.
The storms did not injure the Chesapeake O
oysters, and the few that have arrived in
market are fat and fine, and they COM
mand unusually good prices.
The danger IL that rs soon as the dredg-
ing season opens there will be repetition
cf the piacies Of last year, when organized
6eprodntors pounced upon forbidden
grounds and stripped them Of the oysters.
u required full month OF naval battles, In
which several men were killed and several
vessels sunk, and as result of which
several dozen pirates are now serving terms
in jail TO bring about proper respect
for the law. There is an oyster navy Of
twelve sloops, two steamers and one hun
dred men, which costs the state ss0,00O a
year.
In the Chesapeake e bay aud its tributaries
arc the finest aud largest oyster beds in the
world. The oyster Is Maryland's chief
source of wealth. In the waters of that
stste, not counting the Virginia territory,
the oyster beds cover I20,W0 acres, and
they yield annually over 1000, 600 TO about
5000 people. There arc 100 boats engaged
In the business. Forty years ago no one
dreamed that the enormous supply could
be exhausted, but at that time the snip.
ments from Baltimore were a few hundred
gallons a week. Now there are regular
oyster express trains daily. SO continuous
and merciless have been the depredations
that unless more enlightened legislation Is
passed and enforced the permanent deple-
ton Of the territory is certain.
The oyster laws of the state arc nnngrel
Compromises between the confllt ung de-
mands Of the dredgers and tongcrs. Two
classes of oy stermen whose votes are desir-
able, and who want all they can get with
out regard 10 the future Of the supply. Five
years ago Maryland appointed commits
sion, with Prof Brooks, of Johns Hop
kins university, atlthe head, to investigate
the condition of the crop. II spent several
months on the bay, and the result was am
unusually full and valuable report. "Under
our present policy" said yhis report, '.our
beds have yielded about l0W0,00o bushels
Of oysters a year from grounds which are
capable of yielding over 50O,Oo,Oo bushels
annually" The reforms that II recon-
mended were The prevention of the sale
Of immature oysters; the placing of young
seed oysters on the bay and river bottoms.
and oyster fhrming--the rearing of oysters
from the egg, practical and profitable cul-
ture, since each female oyster produces
several millions of young each year.
The possibility of intelligent oyster farm
ing Is seen when 1t is known that on the
bottom Of the Chesapeake are 6io,W0 acres
II fine oyster lands. This report however,
S.too theoretical for the demagogues, and
by year they have defeated sensible
! l,ation and allowed the depredations to
r., VI. The fact that the next Legislature
~ 1 be the best the state has had for years
gives some hope to the thinking people
chatRge can be made for at least five
months, the oystermen will improve each
opportunity and reap the benefits of the
advanced prices