Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-01-23
ON OYSTER CULTURE.
ADDRESS or PROF. WILSON At THE
UNIVERSITY or NORTH CAROLINA.
How Shall the determination Of Bivaives
he Prevented and the Demand Sup
piled ?--I'he Remedy, Cultivation.
rcorro.,onaonce ., n. R,cnmond ptspa.ch.I

Correspondence Of the Richmond Dispatch-)
CHAprL HnL. N. c., January 22.-Profes-
sor Wilson. Of the biological department
of the University. delivered an address on
oyster culture before the Scientific Socie-
ty Wednesday evening. Professor Wilson
has Just returned from a trip to the North
Carolina sounds. made especially TO OBJ
serve the condition OF the oyster-beds
! there.
Speaking OF oyster-culture throughout
the country, the Professor observed that
the demand FOR oysters had greatly out
grown the supply since the modern im-
provements in the catch, which have tend
ed largely to extermiDate the beds. Inc
question then is, How shall the total exter-
inination of the oyster be prevented and
at the same time the demand suppliedf II
dredging were prohibited the oyters would
increase for time. but longing would also
increase and soop become as destructive
TO the beds as dredging had been before.
The total closing up of the beds for time
il both impracticable and unpralseworthy.
The only remedy Is cultivation. 1t vas
first tried in France early in this century
and proved success.
SUCCESSFUL CULTURE.
North Carolina waters have good bot
tom, and the culture of the oyster is
proving very successful in her sounds. In
forming bed, If the bottom Is muddy,
shells should be dumped down, as the
younger oysters cannot grow unless they
have some hard substance to cling to. 80.
besides shell bottoms. Lieutenant W'nslow.
an oyster cultivator Of the State. uses
bundles Of twigs. which he anchors IN the
water, and TO which the very young oyster,
as 1t floats around in the water immediate
liz at its formation. may cling and grow.
The peculiar process of the birth OF the
baby oyster was here explained. Another
means OF cultivation in these oyster-farms
is to drive down piles, TO which the little
oysters fasten themselves.
Measures are taken by this State to pre-
serve oysters. The legislation permits
that any citizen may lease ten acres tor
planting oysters or moro in deep water.
Natural beds must be left TO alongshore-
men as their exclusive fishing grounds.
LEASED LOTS.
In the State a large number Of lots IN the
sound have already been leased. The
alongshOremen respect these private
grounds. and this State never has expert
enced any trouble on account OF the ma
tive oye3termen encroaching on private
beds, as MARYLAND and Virginia have. The
alongshoremen of this State are peaceable
so long as the native beds are lei slone w
outside spectators.
the Oyster and Shell-Fish Commission
in this State has been created for the pur-
pose of protecting oyerworked natural
beds and Of keeping the State informed
on the oyster business, &c.
The last Legislature imposed tax OF 1c.
bushel on oysters, in hopes OF thus get
ting a good income in the State Treasury.
But the income has been less than was ex-
pected. and the tax has had the effect, 10y
increasing the price of oysters, of shutting
down the oyster canning factories in the
coast cities.
ELoCUTIoN
Professor Hamberlin. Of Richmond Col;
lege, is teaching elocution here and will
remain six weeks. He gave recitation IN
the chapel after the scientific lecture TO a
full house. His renditons of How Ruby
Played" and the quarrel scene in Julius
Cesar were greatly applauded.