Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-01-13

quiring that at least one third OF the ter
ritory 50. purchased be planted IN oys-
terS within the next five years: ceiling 10
her own citizens the barren bottoms OF
the tributaries OF Chesapeake Bay proper,
outside OF the natural oyster deposits 10
| foreign capital and enterprise. The state
should derive her revenue from taxing
| her oyster-farms. leaving the proprietor
free 60 work his own territory - his
own interest and experience may dictate.
bnds sovu nov sryeieS dn her natural ~, her
! own citizens, who should pay certain spe-
cihc taxes on the apparatus used the
money 80 raised TO be applied solely to
the restoration. protection. and preserva-
ton Of these beds"
Views of u Connecticut Grower.
Mr. Henry .. Rowe, OF Connecticut
one Of the largest oyster-growers in the
United states. was the next speaker lie
prcfaced his remarks with compliment
10 Captain RaylOrs address and to the
hospitality Of Nrgnians and expressed
his appreciation OF the great men the old
state had produced He would not pro-
pose TO say anything with reference to
The cultivation Of the oyster I'm Virginia.
Z bat would coniine his remarks TO the
interests in the State Of Connecticut.
MIR ROWe's remarks dealt largely with
bis own experience az an oyster grower.
He said thai in 1874 he bought 10 acres
Of oyster-grounds from the State Of Con.
/ necticut and gradually acquired additional
grounds, until the total property ac-
quired now reached the vast domain or
about 1000 acres. The first Of these
grounds were bought at a cost Of 81 per
acre. and when the purchases were made
his neighbOrs were wont 20 characterize
him ass a blanked fool. Now they had
! changed their epithet, and spoke Of him as
/ a blanked monopollst
IL was due 10 be said that the firm
/ Of which he was at the head had spent
about $4,000 in making experiments
none Of which had amounted To anything.
The beds were largely under water, and
his concern now ran three large steamers.
which took about 34.DO0 bushels OF oysters
from the wafer daily. The advantage of
these large boats WAS that the work
I could be carried on without regard to Ice
or rough weather
ENEMIES OF THE OYSTER
Speaking of the troubles he had ex-
perlenced as an oyster-man. Mr. Rowe
said that he had come across many enc
/ mics Of the oyster In the shape OF drills.
| starfsh. perriwinl1ies. etc. Some Of the
| great storms were also said to have
worked great injury 10 the industry,
| though upon this point the speaker could
/ not speak Of his own knowledge. lie re-
| ferred TO some mistakes on the part
! Of those engaged I'm the oyster business
/ I'm his state. He, however. could see no
/ reason why Virginia should not sell or
| lease her Cyster-gTOunds as she saw NJ.
| In this connection he spoke OF the SAFE
Of the oyster grounds OF the state Of
! Connecticut. and said that after settling
| the expenses aCcruing from the sale. r.
! paying the purchasers Of lands which ha9
|
! paid for The same. the state was 5b,WD
! out Of pocket. \ tax Of per cent,
| however, was now being paid. ana TINS
! amounted 10 about 5000 per year 10 the
! state Treasury.
Mr.. Rowe thanked the convention for
| the compliment paid to him IN requesting
| him 10 deliver an address. ana sad that
| hc might have more 10 say later Oh "7
| the discussion prOgr5sscd
Lieutenant WinsIow'S Address.
| Lieutenant Francis Winslow. OF New
! hcrne y. G., was the next speaker. ne
! thanked the convention for having thus
/ hOu0rcd him. About twenty years ago
! ne began his investigation Of the oyster
problem In the waters of Virginia, when
| the public was ignorant Of the Importance
! OF this industry which was the greatest
| fishing industry in the world. IT then en-
pi0ycd Il larger number of men. Tetuincd
/ q larger amount of prott than any otn'r
| fishery as much as every othcr
! fishing industry in the world
! He spoke Of the warlares between the
! dredg"rs and the tongefS and ne cdnn"~
! and the packers, asserting that these
| things concerned only those Interested IN
| oyster cultivation. II was after sclentlnc
men BEGAN their patient and necessarily
! dieintercstcd Investigations that the oys-
| tor industry became a live ana somewhat
| embarrassing question TO businessmen
/ and statesmen. The subject which 1T ore
! time only interested "A few INDECENT oys-
! termen had reached such proportions as
! 10 bring together such a body as thth
! filed the Chamber Of Commerce.
| Lieutenant WinslOW took peculiar IN
! tcrcst I'm the WORK of the convention. II
| meant the employment Of more men me
! enlargement and Improvement OF the IN
! dugtry. the promotion Of the welfare OF
| For statistics upon the oyster subject
| the speaker referred the audience 10 a
number OF principal works upon this ques-
! tion.
ne learned from communications with
! Governor Mckinney and reading many
| parcrs touching this matter that one of
N.sria's principal industries was nearly
extinct.
/ naht WinslOw was the natural beds. II
/ was generally known that the reduction
/ Of the fishing from the natural beds
would bring about even a greater demand.
/ WNh this state Of affairs one OF two
/ things would occur. The demand would
| seek elsewhere for its supply or the tsh-
| cry industry would be more largely in
! dulsed in
PROTECT THE INDUSTRY.
| II was not the protection Of the natural
! ovstcr-hcds that was Of first considera-
/ tion. but il was the protection ana pre-
/ eervatiou Of the oyster industry. The
/ areas Of Oystcr-bcds was dwclt upon. ana
/ the speaker said Notwithstanding the fact
/ that Virginia had 10000 acres Of natural
! Oyster-bods and New York and Connrcu-
/ cut had only one tenth that much IN ~.
! tho latter States yielded 10000 bushels
/ Of oysters and received therefor $2.0oWW.
/ while Virginia had only Yielded 3,tD,WO
| bushels AT q revenue Of Sl3OlWO
! II the industry could not flourish inie-
pendent Of the natural beds it could not
/ flourish al all. II was q matter or MS
tory that the deterioration. and in many
! Instances the extinction. OF the natural
| oVStcr-bcls had followed the general I'M
! prOvemcnt Of the condition Of all those
] engaged in the industry. How then was
| the industry tD be prtScrNcdE Ihc Iunhd-
mental principle was mat me ,sSupply inusi
! be equal to the demand The natural
! beds Of Virginia could furnish IN" de-
! mand. Reading from statistics he showed
q decrease in the supply In virginia or
| about ~ per cent. between 1880 and laoS
! This sort Of thing was not peculiar 10
! Virginia. IN Delaware and Maryland there
! was also Il falling off in the product
/ Rhode Island showed an increase In the
s,me period material Increase in
/ Connecticut the supply had grown nearly
/ five times as large and I'm New YORK
nearly twice as large IN the same time
/ Yet in the latter two States tie natural
beds were comparatively insignificant.
CAN EXIST ANYWHERE.
The oyster could exist anywhere. said
! the speaker contrary TO the opinion that
| prevails that il could only grow on tne
natural bed. People were Therefore sq5- u,
, picious to believe that the luscious bi-
! valve" would grow elsewhere
After discussing the aversion OF the
I oystermen 10 legislation, he said that ne
! understood that the object OF the conven-
/ tion was not to force down any one
+ throat any special legislation, but to dis
seminate information which would snow
| what was needed. ,
The ovstor-crop OF the State had fallen
off nearly 80 per cent during the eight
years spOken Of previously, and was Ian
cuishing The demand was going else
where. The $4,000 acres now barren OF
cultivation would bring considerable
revenue 10 the state and produce profit
len or twenty times as grea, as any that
Virginia has ever produced In this line.
No ono could hesitate 10 say improve
this barren area" Every effort should
BE- made TO do TINS
Dut the state should not attempt to i'm
urove these grounds. IL would require in
round numbers an expenditure from the
state OF between $G.000,0CO and 100000
which would he almost an impossibiity.
PART OF THE INDIVIDUAL.
II could hardly be possible the speaker
continued. that "A State would make this
outlav for very small portion OF its
inhabitants Therefore the individual
must do this cultivation, and in order 10
81 him 10 do this you must prove u
him that IL will be profitable Therein
came the necessity for the campaign OF
education upon this question.
He spoke OF the necessity for a survey
determining thoroughly the natural condi-
lion. and as a means as advertising fully
HE resources Of the State. The great
principles, as far as the legislature was