The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-12-10

scarcty until this most delightful food. whicl
should be so cheap that all might ENJOY It
has become so dear as to lie beyond the reacl
Of the poor Many # tho oyster beds which
have been productive arc now barren an'
worthless from the injudicious and rockies
manner in which they have been used BY
those who have done nothing to recuperat
them and all that they could do 10 exhaus
them.
TEN YEARS AGO.
saw in a Baltimore paper the other day m
article written by one who is said 20 be rela
bic authority that ten years ago the oysters
G. ming to Baltimore from Virginia and Mary
land, in tho half Of season. by January -
amounted 10 5000 900 bushels TINT two wears
later the quantity had decreased to 4.OOO.0oO
aud one year ago II had further diminished u
5000 900. and that by the lst Of January. TINS
season. the receipts have been below 2.OOO.O
bushels. and with this fatal iate OF decrease
next fall not half million bushels WILL be
caught"
All the year round the longer and the
dredger are industriousy at work In spring.
which Is spawning time. thew are not allowed
10 rest tie whole catch is taken from the ma
tive rocks. those largo enough tor fOOd are
sold 10 the dealer those too small are sold to
the planter and in great part are shipped
away to be used beyond the limits OF Virgin
IA to seed the oyster grounds OF other States
and TO enrich other planters than our own.
! law II Is. j believe IN every state except VIZ
ginia. To sell seed oysters l. rs foolish as 10
would be in the farmer 10 sell the soil IN his
| own farm TO enrich that OF his nelghOOr or -
/ grind his seed corn which no knows be will
| not be able % replace al planting time. The
/ oyster should be culed where caught and all
not mcrchantable should be lett on the rocks
to grow and fatten until they are fit for food.
IS TIE LAW ENFORCED?
The following was clipped from recent
Baltimore paper: We fear that the VIZ
gina authorizes are not enforcing their law.
The evidences that reach Baltimore certainly
substaniiate that fact. OF the \irginia oys-
tiers that come 70 the city of Baltimore We
are reliably informed that fully One-Aalf are
simply seed oysters and shells; often the pro-
portion reaches two-thirds. IL IS simply out
rageous that such stun should be allowed TO
come to market. Virginia should bestir her
self and protect her supply"
The writer Was mistaken in believing that
we had law tOrUiddiug the catch OF seed
oysters and carrying them out of our waters.
IL was 80 plain to his intelligence that there
should have been such "a law that lie did not
stop 10 consider whether there was one
Hence his call on Virginia 10 bestIr herself
and protect her supply of young oysters. In
lew years they would he IA source OF wealth,
giving employment and remuneration 20
many Thousands of our citizens.
The most important question TO be cOnsid-
cred 49, howl an We best protect the oyster
industry OF Virginia This lies NJ the foun-
datiOn Of all our legislation. and unless it is
effectively protected the question of revenue
is nothing. and III the near future the oyster
lands Of Virginia will be as barren as those of
Name and Massa husetts
Colonel Mcdonald. the very intelligent Fsh
Commissioner of the United States and once
our Fish Commissioner saws that the Hamp-
n,,la
condition Of things which IS beginnin1 10 pre-
vail extensively III Virginia waters. Formerly
they were covered with q natural growth oil
oysters that had great reputation and com
manded high price IN the markets. They lie
right at the door of Hampton, and gave profit
able employment to her fishermen. Now
these fats are exhausted, and they possess q
productive capacity OF nearly halt ~ million
bushels annually under Iudlcious planting
The Jaw OF the State prohibiting planting on
oyster rocks keeps them barren where all an
nual income of slz5, 600 Is possible"
BY THE AcRr
BY an act passed in lss1-'S2. any resident of |
the State can rent as many of these valuable |
flats as he proposes to SOW or plant at twenty |
five cents per acre. ! have not been able TO |
ascertain the amount of revenue from these |
flats. but the reported revenue from oysters
for the county IS only $500. which Is but
small part of their real annual value. Nor do |
| know the number Of acres nor the number
Of renters. have endeayOred in vain To find
out. This should be carefully investigated.
THE Possibilities.
Professor Brooks in his report on the su b.
ect TO the Maryland legislature made in the
year 1891, says that there are more than
500 coo acres of oyster lands in Maryland and
hat much OF this ground could be made TO
yield u its cutivatOrs an annual return of
n d In .sa .tel. L.
thorough cultivation. would not DO less than
Zoo per acre. II is not too much 10 affirm
hat when the whole of this area shall have
been developed. the State will be able 20
iraw an annual income of over $50, 600, 900 |
rom our waters
The oyster beds of Rhode Island were lone
ago so depleted that they ceased to be of any
value as a source of food or revenue, and
here Is now only one river III the state
where seed-oysters for planting can he pro-
'ured IN any quantity. A few years ago laws
we're passed 10 foster and develop planting
and in 1919 1872 acres OF planting
'rOund were occupied under the law. and
the fact that nearly all the
eed-oysters must be purchased outside of
he State those 9G2 acres yielded a crop
which WAS sold by the cultivators for SCsO. 500
which is more than 500 per acre and paid ,
he State 10 per acre rent. .
Our oyster lands are better than those OF ,
thOde Island, and If we will cultivate them
nd make them as productive as Rhode /
stands 5OOOOO acres (ess than half of what !
We havel they will produce for the PLANTER
3JOOOjO 900 IN gross and would net him =
35, 600 600 aud II we can get 80 per acre ,
ent. which Is the amount Rhode Island re- :
ewes, We shall have a revenue for the State =
I $4,000. 900 per annum- nearly twice as ,
much AS is necessary to support our State
Government. /
CITATIONS. ;
! will cite a case or two from Vircinia 2
nder a spe lal act of the legislature an %
royed February IA. 1881. g. 200 acres of oyster T.
lnds were rented by citizen OF Virginia AZ II
ne sum Of . cents per acre for twenty years n
he party was put IN possession he went 10 q
Ork. and at much labor and expense put the II
round in condition 10 receive the shells and G
sod-oysters. For good and sufficient rea c.
IN on the goth december, 1852 tho act
as repealed and the party dispossessed a
nd his work all lost lie then pro la
osed T. the Legislature 10 release t
re State from oil claim for damages in If
onsequence of the wrong lie consid- p
ed he had suffered which be est II
ated at $4,000 (actual loss. If the la
tate would lease to him the same num- 10
81 of acres for like number of years. on the Il
flowing terms-yiz.. he would pay for the Il
st two years so cents per acre each year M
r the next three years 81 per acre each year W
I'd for the remaining fifteen years the sum Of OF
per acre, which wOuld make for the State a.