Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-12-14
THE 0YSTER-B
HOW TO SAVE THEM FROM UTTER
DESTRUCTION.
Spirited Tidewater
Msn.
WHITE MARSH PosT-OFTicE,
GLOUCESTER COUNTY, VA. :
December 3, 1890. J

Of the 18th OF November, - that inc law
ought TO regulate the quantity and not
the time in which the oysters may be
taken from the natural beds, to a prac-
tical FISHERMAN seems not only totally
impractcable, bat rather absurd. Not
many years since tho law OF Virginia
provided that during the close season
not more than two bushels per day
should be taken for family use. Yet
every man who took any took every one
that be could possibly get
Hundreds OF boats might be seen at
work on the various natural beds, taking
them every day in the week except sun
day whenever the weather would permit
without hindrance. The words I" Tor
family use" we're construed to mean
"not only 10 be eaten by the family, but
10 supply them with all the necessarles
OF life" So they were traded for ner-
chandise OF every sort, sold for cash, and
planted. Where one bushel was actually
eaten by the families OF the oystermen
hundreds we're sold. That the natural
supply is being rapidly exhausted
is but too apparent 10 all observers.
General JohnsOn's suggestion might
iessen the drain upon the natural beds,
but is totally impracticable. because the
hire OF a police force sufficient to pre-
vent the taking Of moro than limited
quantity by each tongman would cost as
much as all the oysters taken would be
worth. Besides, in all other trades or
,,1,,.4r.. apt opI sEfil
are at q premium the field IS left open
for every man to make the most OF his
opportunities. Why, then, because n
man happens TO be an oysterman, should
the law step in, curb bis industry, re-
strain his enterprise. and discount his
skill
General johnson and other would-be
solyers Of the oyster problem assume
that the depletion Of the natural beds IL
due more 10 the wantOn destruction OF
the oysters than to any other cause. The
great overruling cause, increased de-
mdnd. is totally ignored. Steam trans
portation, both 10y land and water, has
opened up the markets OF not only the
United States and Canada, but also of
Europe and China TO the oyster, thereby
adding millions TO the consumers OF the
delicious biyalye within the past twenty
or thirty years, thus increasing
the demand thousand fold. The
efforts Of those engaged in the
various branches Of the oyster industry
10 meet this demand have OF necessity
diminished the natural supply which was
ALWAYS limited. Go into any of the oys-
ter marts Of the country and you Will
see thousands Of bushels of young oys-
tiers being consumed which ten years ago
would have been considered too small
for any other purpose than to he plant
ell. There is one way, and only one, by
which this increased and increasing de-
rnand can be met and the natural beds
preserved, and that is by increasing the
simply. This can only he done by srti
fetal propagation. which is no longer a
mere experiment. We have abundant
proof that it can he done success
fully and profitably. The little state OF
Connecticut has accomplished wonders
i'll thts direction within the past twenty
wears, Then her natural beds we're we'll
nigh exhausted and she imported her
supply largely from Virginia and Mary
tiut. NOW uIt supply - tSAN"'NA '''t''A
ever before, and she exports them To
various parts of the United states,
Canada. and even TO Europe. One Con-
necticut firm in 1887 or 1888 shipped
10000 barrels 900 busheis) to Liver
pool and London But we need not go
down Fast for this proof; We have 1t
within the limits OF our own Com
monwealth. We find number of
these artificial beds in the York, Severn,
Ware, North, and perhaps In all the
other rivers and many other creeks OF
virginia. The natural beds OF the
Severn river b.ve become almost en-
tirely exhausted within the last twenty
years, but now the supply IS being year
" increased by the artificial beds, and
this. too, in the face of Law which SO
far from encouraging this industry
almost prohibits it. No capitalist three.
degrees removed from an idiot would
think Of improving real estate
either in town or country where
there was doubt about his being
able to hold il long enough to
reap some benefit from the improve
ments made certainly not If he knew
that his tenure might be for only one or
one and half Years, and that he could
not possibly reap one cents benefit IN
less than from three TO five years. Yet
this Is exactly the position OF every man
in Virginia who wishes 10 engage In the
propagation Of oysters. The State rents
the planting-groundss subject to revoca-
ton at any session Of the Legislature,
the party renting having only eighteen
months from the date of such revoca-
ton to get his oysters or shells off the
rented grounds Now, see the risks
the men have taken who have engaged
in the propagation OF oysters under
such law When man at heavy ex-
pense puts out bis bed of shells, on
which he hopes and expects to raise oys-
tiers, he cannot expect under the most
favorable circumstances, to have any
oysters large enough to sell in lees than
three years, and only a small quantity
then the fuller harvest coming on the
fourth and fifth years. Under less favora-
BILE circumstances five years would elapse
before he could realize anything. is it
any wonder, then, that the propagation
of oysters in Virginia lie engaged IN 10y
80 few men and to so limited an extent
IL it not more surprising that 1t should
have been engaged in at all, especially
since every Legislature feels itself called
on 10 tinker with the oyster tatc III some
way, generally speaking, going from bad
70 worse in the mad endesyor to make
the "industry self-sustaining. or to find
in II new sources OF revenue, totally dis
regarding that provision OF the Constitu-
tion which prohibits the collection OF a
license-tax for the privilege Of taking
oysters from the natural beds with ordi-
nary oyster-tongs," as we'll as the one
providing that oil taxes shall he uniform
and al valorem. Hundreds, perhaps
thousands, OF acres of the natural
oyster-beds OF Virginia have been ex-
hsusted, or so nearly so that they
can never recuperate of themselves.
oil OF which could be made as
productive as ever by artificial