Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-05-16

cultivation of the oyster and the present
! demand for II.
First. as 10 the acreage available under
existing laws. The 20i 2is.3 acres Of ma
tural oyster-rock unquestionably contain
a large percentage of the area OF tribu-
tar.es Of Chesapeake bay suitable for the
| cultivation OF the oyster II the state
! Of Virginia should ever receive a large.
/ direct revenue from the rental OF her
oyster-grounds this result must be OBJ
talned by utilizing the broad area OF
| Chesapeake bay proper. That portion
| OF the area OF Chesapeake bay proper
/ called natural oyster-rock by law Is now
surveyed. Outside Of this natural oyster
/ area there are at least 100000 acres OF
barren area disposable by the Common
| wealth for the propagation OF oysters.
II all this area could be rented AT an
| annual rental OF 81 per acre. II wonid
| mean a revenue Of almost 100000 year:
| What portion OF this area can be rented
| at a uniform rental Of 81 per acre Is an
\ open question.
| A MATTER OF EXPERIMENT.
Deep-water oyster culture In this Ray
| LIS largely matter OF experiment. II
| has proved profitable on Long Island
| Sound IN about the same depth OF water
as that in Chesapeake bay.
In Virginia we have no deep-water oys-
| ter planters with capital and labor-saV'ne
\ appliances ready to rent this area. III sne
| Is TO derive direct revenue from tne ren,a
1 Of this barren area she must let In capitaI
| from sister States for It's cultivation. That
| this would ultimately be 10 the advantage
| OF the oystermen In the bays and rivers
| tributary TO Chesapeake hay there can De
| little doubt. To establish their beds III
| Che sapeake bay the desp-water oyster cui-
| tivators must have sfclls ana oysters
| Here our own oystermen VIII ma mar
for txfh
| is now little or no sale. Should these deep
| water oyster culturisfs succeed In Chesa-
peake bay an enormous direct oyster TRACE
| will spring up with Europe and the NORTH
| for these deep-water oyster planters must
| own their own steam dredges Ihey VIII
| utilize a barren area that can never Do
| used by small oyster planters. Ii 10
| claimed that outside capital wond intro
| duce into our midst foreign population.
| the scum OF Europe. Let us see what
| ground there is for this belief.
| The percentage of foreigners In the YES
| sci fisheries of the entire country Is only
| Il per cent. Seventy-one Der cent or the
| vessel fishermen OF the New England
| States are United States citizens. Nine
| ty-two per cent Of the vessel fishermen OF
| the Middle-Atlantic States are native-born
| or naturalized citizens. The vessels sail
| ing from the Soutb-Atlaniic ports are
manned wholly by our own citizens. (Bul-
| letn of the United States Fish Commits
sion, volume Kill 1893. page 395) From
| the very nature OF the work the deep
| water cultursts must Of necessity get
| their labor from this class of men In the
| United States.
4 LAW SUGGESTED.
The views expressed above would be
| met II the following bill was 10 become
| law In Virginia. Without some such law
| Virginia cannot. under present conditions,
derive a large direct revenue from the
rental of her oyster-grounds.
| TO PROMOTE OYSTER CULTURE IN
CHESAPEAKE BAY.
!. BE II enacted by the General As
sembly of Virginia. That any Of the area
| OF the Chesapeake bay proper which is
more than two statute miles from mean
low-water mark. and is not em-
| braced In the survey of the
natural oyster beds. rocks. and shoals
| of the Commonwealth, which said survey
was authorized by an act approved
February 20. 1892. and as amended by act
| approved March 2, 1894. entitled IAN act
to protect the oyster industry OF the
Commonwealth" may be occupied for
the purpose Of planting or propagating
oysters thereon, under section 2l31 OF
the Code of Virginia. as amended and re-
| enacted by act approved February %,
| 1892, by any person OF persons. other
than "A nonresident Of the United States.
g II shall be lawful two years after
the passage of this act, for any person
| to rent oyster-planting ground In Chesa-
| peake bay proper. and afterwards SUBJ
| rent or sub-let the same 10 another per-
son.
3. Chesapeake bay proper shall be con-
strued to mean, in all the courts of the
| Commonwealth. what is designated as
Chesapeake bay on the official charts OF
the United States Coast and Geodetic Sur
vey
4. All acts and parts Of acts mcon-
sistent with this act be, and the same
are, hereby repealed.
5. This act shall be in force from Its
| passage.
MIGHT MAKE OYSTER-PONDS.
There are along the shores of the Chesa-
| peake bay and It's tributaries large areas
of salt-marshes and mud-fiats between
| the level of high and low water. These
areas yield nothing, either to the state
or their owners. in their present condi-
ton. because they are unavailable Tor
oyster-culture under the system OF leas-
ing adopted by the State OF Nir-
ginia, by reason of the large expenditure
necessary to lit them for the purpose
They should be converted into oyster
ponds. Pond-culture has proved extreme
~ prOfltdbie IN FRANCE, anu may
prove so here. There is no difficulty In
raising oysters in the opea bays and
rivers of Virginia, but ii is difficult TO
get our oysters fat enough for market
The construction of ponds might bring
about change in this respect. Lynn
haven bay is a natural oyster. pond 1t
would be well II such a law as the follow
ing could be enacted in Virginia:
N ('haClnpQK0
bay and it's tributaries large areas of
salt-marshes and mud-Hats between the
level Of high and low water; and,
Whereas. these areas are now unavail-
able for oyster-culture. under the system
OF leasing adopted by the State of Nir-
ginia, by reason OF the large expenditure
necessary TO tit them fer this purposes:
| therefore,
/. BE II enacted by the General AS
sembly of Virginia. That any person or
| corporation desiring to do so. may, as
riparian owners. or In cooperation with
the riparian owner. or owners, abutting
on the waterfront proposed TO be i'm
| proved, undertake the conversion of such
tracts into enclosed areas for the rear
| ing and production of oysters, and all
such tracts as may by reason of such
| work and expenditure be permanently en-
| closed and converted to the uses afore
| said shall become the property In fee
| simple of the person or persons effecting
| these improvements, and title in the
\ same shall be duly affirmed to them by
| patent. after paying the fees. and COM
| plying with the regulations and require
ments governing the entry of public
| lands; and thereupon the lands so recov-
| cred and acquired in fee simple shall be
| assessed and taxed as are the agricultural
| lands OF the State of Virginia.
2. All acts or parts of acts inconsist-
| ent, or in conflict, with this act be, and
| the same are, hereby repealed.
8. This act shall be in force from its
| passage.
RENTAL CT BARREN AREA.
To encourage the rental of barren area
| every facility should be given the planter.
The use OF labor-saving appliances should
| be authorized In such a way as not TO
iniure the natural oyster-beds of the
State. Such a law as the following would
accomplish this end:
| TO ENCOURAGE THE OYSTER IN
| DUSTRY OF THE COMMONWEALTH
/. BE IL enacted by the General AS
| sCmbly Of Virginia. That any person or
persons renting leo or more acres OF
ground from the State of Virginia for
the purpose of planting or propagating