Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1891-02-28
Corr eSi,OndeMce.

EDITOR ENTERPRIsE-Being pecu-
niarily and sincerely interested, in
the welfare and perpetuation OF the
great oyster industry of our State, q
practical FISHERMAN for fifteen years
as master and owner of dredging YES
sells and seeing the necessity that the
present oyster law of our State be so
amended, as to prevent the threaten
ed humiliation of the greatest natur-
al industry we possess, am prompt
ed to express my views on the all-im-
portant subject through the columns
of your paper.
Eight years ago, before so many
vessels were engaged in.dredging, we
had superabundancc of oysters and
l could catch as many in q single
boat then, as / can now with four
vessels of the same size, with all the
latest improvements in dredges and
winders
The cause of the depletion of our
oyster rocks. in my judgment, from
experience and observation, is due to
the fact, that small oysters are not
protected by law; the season for
dredging 81 months is entirely too
long, for both the oyster and the
boatmen that dredge them.
! would suggest that the law which
makes the season, to run from Octo-
Der 18th to April lst be SO amended
as to be from October 18th to Febru-
airy LIST. Surprising the catch of oys-
tiers under the present law, from Feb
ruary 1st to April let, to be 200, 900
bushels, by the amendment to the
law, we would save this 100000 BUSH
els together with the growth and in
crease for the following season, and
this law enforced from year to year,
the supply would be so enormous,
that it would be an inpossibility to
make them scarce much less deplete
the beds.
1t is a well known fact, that oys-
tiers during the months of February
and March, are in weak conditions,
supposed to be due to the state of the
atmosphere aid water ut this season
OF the year; being generally poor dur
ing these months, and easily killed
by the dredge, they e luire profound
rest. but during It Ter months the
dredge is an advantage. cultivating
the rocks SO the oyster may grow.
1t may be news to some readers but
nevertheless true, that oysters are
mach stronger in the months Of April
and May. than in February, and will
live longer out of water, notwith-
standing the atmosphere and water
are much warmer; and for this rea-
son they should be allowed undis-
turbed repose from February 1st, to
October 18th. following.
The average dredging boat does
not realize any profit from his work
during February and March. owing
in part tn the depressed condition of
the raw oyster market; the improba-
bility of steam packing houses in
Baltimore, working during these Ito
be eXpectcd) frozen months Of the
year, causing the OYSTERS to be sold
far below the cost to catch them; to
the many dead onos that are always
found in the cargoes during these
months, and the accumulation of
''glutn upon an inactive market,
thereby causing dntriment to the
longing industry, by Quitting the
markets and reducing their labors to
an expensive hardship.
We have now about four times the
boats in the dredging business we
had eight years ago and supposing
there are as manv oysters now, as
then, the quantity would be to each
boat. which would make the "loaf
smaller; but we are confronted not
only by the increase of boats, but by
the depletion of the oyster supply as
we'll and if we do not protect this in
dustry in time, and that is at the
next session of our legislature, boat
property must rapidly depreciate and
our landed interests supported by the
products of the oyster rocks will go
to destruction and restitution will
overshadow the homes of once in
dependent people.
l would suggest tho only known
remedy given to the pe,plc of knowl-
edge and forethought, engaged in the
oyster business, to perpetnate and
vastly increase the quantity of oYs-
ters in our waters, and that is strict
culling law, in keeping with the Gull
ing feature of the oyster law of Mary
land; inasmuch as we are sister States,
catching our oysters as it were were
in the same waters, disposing of them
in the same markets and everyway
interested with them in measure andl
quality, our interests are Identical
from the rocks to the packing house.
With strict culling law, properly
enforced upon the rocks and beds by
making it a criminal offense to catch
and carry from the rocks any shells
and small oysters measuring less than
81 inches in length and with a shor-
tened season for catching oysters
with dredges, I have no doubt the
rocks would be replenished in few
years so we would be able to catch
oysters at o. reasonable price and with
good profit to ourselves.
If our law remains unchanged, and
we continue to numerically slaugh-
ter the industry, by catching the
young oysters to be wasted in the
packing houses or shell piles, we will
not only find in the near future we
cannot compete with our sister State
Maryland in the production of oys-
tiers, but we will fall into the train of
England, France and Germany where
oysters "once were but are not.''
We shond profit by the example
we see, OF natural rocks gone to de-
struction, in our northern States
and trusting that the people of Vir-
ginia will see their folly and enact
law at the next session of the Legisla-
ture to perpetuate the industry, is
the desire of q purely interested citi-
zen of the "Old Dominion"
CHARLES w. MARSH.
Hoffmans Wharf, Feb. %, 1891.
Mr.. ED1ToR-At meeting of the
Oyster Union, No. 1, held at the