Democratic messenger., 1894-03-10
OUR OYSTER INDUSTRY
Excerpts From the .Oyster Industry
Of Maryland" Written by
A SNOW HILL. BOY.

A SNOW HILL BOY.
What tie Says of the Sinepuxent
Oyster Grounds.
Mr.. Charles H. Stevenson, son oi
Hugh :. Stevenson, Esq, Of this town,
who left here several years ago Ia
accept civil service appointment with
the United States Fish Commission,
has juit written an extensive review Of
the '.Oyster Industry of Mary yland. "
1t is based largely on the personal
observations and inquiries of MIR. SIev-
enson and is highly commended by
United States Fish Commissioner
Marshall Mcdonald. The pamphlet
which is issued by the L :. Govern
ment is handsomely printed and
elegantly illustrated. Mr.. Stevenson
says of the Sinepuxent Oyster-grounds:
These grounds are situated on the
ocean side Of the State and within the
limits of Worcester County. At pres
ent their area does not exceed ) square
miles, the annual product OF which
during recent years has averaged a.
bout $4,000 bushels. These oysters
are rather small and are used mostly
tor planting purposes, nearly all OF
them being again bedded on the priv
ate areas in that county. AT one time
this bay was one of the importent
oyster-producing regions Of Maryland,
but ut present the percentage OF natural
reefs To the total water area is les.
than in any other oyster-producine
county in the State, being only about
per cent. The conditions Of th,
oyster fishery in this county are totally
different from those in the other coun-
ties in Maryland, no part Of the regu-
lations of the oyster industry of the
Chesapeake Bay and tributaries apply
ing 10 the waters Of the Sinepuxcnt
Bay.
The history OF the fishery here is
unique and interesting. Dredges
have never been used 10 any noticeable
extent, il at all. From 1920 To 1874
the oysters were so abundant that
many persons engaged in catching
them to be burned into lime. which
sold at from 1 to : cents per bushel.
At present the only outlet into the
ocean possessed by this bav is through
Chincoteague Inlet, at the extreme
lower end of Chincoteague Bay. But
during the period mentioned another
AMI more convenient outlet existed.
This Was closed by natural causes a
bout 1914, AMI the water in the bay
gradually became So fresh and the bot
tom 81 covered with vegetable growth
that the oysters were almost entirely
DESTROYED except in the most favorable
localities. Many efforts were made To
retarl the decrease by restricting the
fishery. In 1916 a close time was es-
tablished in the county from April IL
TO September L. In 1882 the remoy al
of empty shells from the reefs for any
purpose whatever was prohibited, and
in 1861 il was required that only 10
bushels of oysters should he taken in
any one week by each man, but this
provision was operative only one year.
The great scarcity continued until
1886, when severe storm occurred in
this region, producing an inlet in a
narrow portion of the sand beach.
The ocean water also flowed over the
beach in other places and raised the
water in the bay several feet, thus
thoroughly securing the hay by the
reason Of Its being very shallow. Dur
ing the year following the one in which
the storm occurred IN excellent set of
oysters was obtained. At the end oi
two wears these were marketable and
hundreds OF persons were employed in
tonging them, some making at times AS
much as 800 and over per week.
Difficulty was experienced in obtaining
farm hands all along the shores Of the
bay because Of the great number em-
ployed in catching oysters. The car
penters left houses unfinished, the
farmers their fields, and the country
merchant. their counters, 10 engage in
obtaining share of the bountitul har
vest II is probable that during some
of the years following 1870 the product
OF the common fishery in this bay a.
mounted 10 500, 900 or more bushels
ranging in value from 80 cents To 81
per bushel. AT one time in 1872
over 40 vessels loading for northern
markets were counted within sight Of
one point in the bay.
But the inlet made by the storm
closed up and the oysters gradually de-
creased i'm abundance From 1881 to
1884 the oysters were again somewhat
plentiful, but not by any means 50
abundant as in 1872. Since 1884 the
quantity obtained annually from the
public reefs has been small, the exten-
sive trade now prosecuted in that bay
being dependent on the planting buis-
ness. which has been conducted there
more or less extensively since 1912.