The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-05-15
THE OYSTER PROBLEM.
This Favorite Bivalve Is Nearly E1tin'
in the baltimore Bcds.

in the baltimore Lscds.
The evident and alarming decrease of
the yield of the oyster beds of Chesa-
peake Bay, recently emphasized by the
removal by nineteen oyster packing
firms Of the whole or q part of their
plant to other localities, led to an i'm
portant meeting of parties interested
in the subject in Baltimore recently.
Prof. Brooks, twelve years ago,
warned the State authorities that the
determination Of the oyster by injurious
methods Of fishing and lack Of suitable
protection was eminent. The small
yield of 5000, 900 bushels of oysters in
1890 as compared with the output Of
II, 000, 600 bushels in 1875 is sufficient
evidence of the soundness of Prof.
Brooks prediction.
In the course of the addresses it was
shown that the oyster industry Of Chesa-
peake Bay involves an outlay, for wages,
labels, boxes and transportation, of
about So, 900, 900 annually, this not in-
Guiding the cost of the oysters. 1t is
safe to assume that the value of the
oysters, together with the cost of put
ting them on the market, will represent
a sun not less than 81, 500, 900 to $5,-
OOO, 1000.
Prof. Brooks estimates that since the
establishment of the oyster packing in
dustry fully 400, O00, GOO bushels of oys-
tiers have been taken from the waters of
Chesapeake Bay. This magnificent re-
source. however, is threatened with
complete destruction unless speedy
measures be taken to arrest the decline
and foster the growth of the Industry.
The Professor further states that in
other countries, where the grounds are
much less valuable, they have by cul-
tlvation been made to produce oysters
at a rate per acre which in our superior
waters would bring the annual yield far
above the entire harvest SO far gathered
by the packers Of Maryland and Vir-
ginia.
There was perfect agreement among
the parties interested in the Chesapeake
oyster as to the need Of prompt action,
and this agreement found expression in
q series of resolutions calling attention
to the threatened destruction of the
oyster beds under the present con-
dltlons, with the consequent throwing
out of employment of thousands of
workmen, and a greater injury to the
people Of Maryland engaged in allied
industries. This threatened extinction
is charged to the want of legislative en-
enlargement of artificial propagation,
and stress is laid upon the necessity of
selling or leasing to individua'> certain
Tortions Of the beds, for the experiment
of oyster rearing. The desirability of
State supervision of oyster grounds has
teen demonstrated in North Carolina,
South Carolina and Georgia, as we'll as
in Massachusetts and New York, and
particularly in Connecticut. where the
natural beds are reserved for public
use, but all other waters capable of pro-
ducing oysters are sold to individuals,
whose vested rights are amply protect
ed and hence enjoyed without moles-
tation.. AS an illustration of the prac-
teal working Of this plan it is stated
that the oyster crop bas quadrupled in
Connecticut the last decade.
Some experiments have been made by
the q. S. Fish Commission in the arti-
fcial culture ofoysters, but so far with
out demonstrating methods which are
entirely practical and satisfactory. We
understand that the subject will con-
tinue to receive diligent attention, and,
in addition to this, the methods Of rear
ing oysters in artificial basins. so sue
cessfully practiced in certain parts Of
Europe, and especially in France, will
be studied in detail, with a view to
utilizing the information in behalf of
the oyster industries OF the United
States. Forest and Stream.
An Expensive HAIRCUT.
The chronicler declares that when
Louis VII, to obey the instructions of
his bishops, cut his hair, his consort,
Eleanor, was so mortified at seeing His
Majesty cropped thus that she soon
turned against him. In the end Louis
was obliged to obtain a divorce for
there was longer no living with the
Queen. Eleanor then married the
Count of Anjou, afterwards the English
Henry II. Her dover was the rich
provinces of Anjou and Guienne. And
it is asserted that the possession Of
these provinces, the defense of which
ravished the French coast for 300.
years, and in the end cost that nation
over 5000, GOO men, can all be traced to
uHlS uHloItuudte llalr-cuG; Iof certain 1t
is that if Louis had not been cropped
Eleanor never would have been morti-
fed, never would have applied for q di-
yorce, never would have married An
jou, never would have obtained her
+! rich dover, and. finally, the wars v
would have occurred--all of which
points a moral on the folly Of fashions in
general and hair-clipping in particular.
what Nevada VIII Send.
Nevada will send to the Worlds Fair
a bar Of solid gold weighing 1000.
pounds. II is supposed that it's weight