The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-11-03
LUSCIOUS BIVALVES.
'The Extent and Importance Of the
Oyster Industry.
TIE MARYLAND OYSTER PIRATES
Why Should We Like Oysters and Reject
snailss-A Study Of the BiYalye
and His Habits.

The individual that first gulped down q
fresh specimen Of the genus oyster, in al
It's Shiny rawness, was brave fellow in
deed. 1t has been argued, and doubtless
with much appearance of truth, that the
liking for oysters is q cultivated taste; and
II this be so, it is fair to assume that, like
so many other products of cultivation, this
taste may be somewhat abnormal But,
nevertheless, mans love for oysters is,
without doubt, a firm fact. 1t is fashion
able TO like oysters, and fashion, you know,
IS u power in determining our likes and dis
likes. 1t also covers a multitude of sins of
Inconsistency.
If the oyster be so delicious, why do we
consider so many Of it's near relatives in
the molluscan family so disgusting as
articles of diet? Many an ardent oyster
lover would suffer painful erection of his
8 gastronomic bristles,' if invited to par
take of dish of fried snails, or to partici-
pate in the ceremonies of a slug fricassee.
Yet surely these latter are as wholesome
as the other. They are vegetable feeders,
too; and chemically, biologically and
morphologically are very closely allied to
the famous bivalve. But argument and
reason are worthless in a matter of this
kind. We like oysters, and we don't like
snails. This Judgments final.
One result of this preference has been
the establishment and development of a
very extensive branch ofhuman enterprise.
THE OYSTER INDUSTRY
of the world is at present mostly confined
70 France and the United States, though
Russia, Norway, Spain, Germany, Italy,
Holland and Canada engage in the business
on very small scale.
In the United States, the oyster indus
try is vastly more extensive than any other
division of fishery The oyster products
are considered equal in value to between
three and four times that of the cod fish
cry, and nearly seven times that of the
whaling industry. When, in connection
with these statements, it is remembered
that upwards of so per cent of the Total
yield of oysters in the United States is
procured from the waters of the Chesa-
pagke bay, the commercial and industrial
Importance of that locality will be easily
cOmpreheuded. The revenue of the oyster
trade there carried on amounts to nearly
thirty millions of dollars annually. Be
sides the auxiliary boats. there are over q
thousand vessels OF considerable size en-
gagged exclusively il the gathering and
TRANSPORTATION of oysters on the Chesa-
peake.
7 The writer had the pleasure of spending
the greater portion of the years 1888 and
1854 on the Chesapeake shores, and he took
deep interest in the study of the oyster.
What little time and attention could be
spared from his numerous experiments on
the relative digestibility of oysters living
or dead, raw, fried or stewed, was de
voted to the investigation of the oyster in
dustry in general. One could not desire
NoRB FAVORED LOCALITY
for the purpose than the one named.
The legislature of Maryland has earn
estly endeavored to protect the interests of
the state in the oyster trade, the principal
beds on which the juicy bivalves repose be-
Ing under the jurisdiction Of that state In
Maryland, as is the case in all states where
in exist laws regulating or seeking to regu-
late the oyster industry, few general and
many specific regulations find place on the
statute books. Thus the taking of oysters
under any circumstances during the sum
mer months is forbidden; it is only during
the months with "r'' in their names that
oyster fishing is considered legal. Then
again, fishing for oysters at night is unlaH-
full. So, too, the use OF steam vessels or
steam apparatus in the process is not al
lowed. To this last general tenet, Con
necticut forms an exception, and a large
feet OF steam dredgers is employed upon
her beds.
But in Maryland there is a condition Of
CONTINUAL STRIFE
over the provisions of the oyster law. The
state provides a special armed police force
aud well-equipped navy of u dozen good
vessels to guard the dignity of the law. To
'Siat extent this object is accomplished is
az open question; but as for protecting the
oyster beds, their success is almost micro
scopic. Pirates from other states invade
the Maryland waters, and despoil the
oyster colonies with venturesome bold
ness well befitting their name During
the season at which oysters are most in de-
maud, encounters between the navy police
and the piratical crews are frequent, and
for long periods, of daily occurrence. The
officers are instructed to avoid blood shed
as much as possible, never to take life ex-
cept in the extremities of self-defense;
and to direct their fire at the rigging and
upper parts of the trespassing vessels.
But there have been a number of bloody
battles; police and pirates have on several
occasions met their death in encounters of
the sort.
SUCH PIRATICAL PRACTICES
seem to be rather increasing than disap-
pearing at the present time.
The hope OF the law makers that the beds
would be in any degree protected By the
''close time" regulation has been proved to
be groundless. BY 'close time' rules is
meant, the granting Of permission to fish at
certain seasons, and forbdding the pro
ceedings at other times. Upon this. Prof |
has well remarked: Suppose.
that, in o country infested with wolves,
you have a flock of sheep; keeping the
wolves off during the LANDING season will
not afford much protection if you with
draw the shepherd and dogs during the rest
Of the year" The absolute prevention OF
oyster fishing during four months in the |
year is no assurance that the beds will not |
suffer all manner Of depredations during !
the remaining eight months
xSeVeral OF the most productive Of natural !
beds are becoming rapidly exhausted, and |
an alarming evidence is constantly assert |
ing itself, that, IL the present reckless pro- /
cedure be not effectually stopped the time |
IS near when the oyster industry viii be !
numbered among the items of past history, /
and of constant regret. The iaestimat- |
able richness of the Atlantic beds would |
indicate that but a moderate de- !
gree of care is essential to the perpetu- |
ating Of our country's fame as an oyster
producer.
THEIR ARB TWO PRINCIPAL METHODS
by which oysters are taken from the beds |
These are known as longing and dredging !
The latter is a terribly destructive process. |
The dredge most commonly used is in form |
like huge rake with curved teeth, though |
smooth scrapers are employed. |
These implements are operated by means Of |
b winch winder, or else by hand. After be- |
mo n ba hOf Of ~, tb.ai