New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-14
THE PROTECTION OF GAME.
PROBLEMS IN PRESERVING IMPORTANT
FOOD SUPPLIES.
WHY RIGID REGULATIONS ARE srPERfLUouS
FOR CLANS n1,T NECESSARY FOR LOBsTERs
PECULIAR DIFFICULTIES IN NEW
YoRK-TIIE GRADUAL DISAPPEAR
AyCE OF SOME SPECIES.

-PECTlIAR DlfllNt l>iih9 ~ ->A'
YoRK-TIIE GRADUAL DISAPPEAR
AycE OF SOME SPECIES.
Considerable discussion regarding the game Ia"
has been caused among sportsmen and dealers Il,
game and fish by the recent prosecution or SEVERN
extensive FISH dealers of this city. Tor ha'i"s u"
their possession Little Neck clans Of less IMAM ono
inch in thickness. that being the h"h' a. - NV
smallness of clans which may be ia"'u"y -, 'S'
sessed. The law provides FOR a pei'"i'' Va
each infraction OF its provisions -
Il q strong OF f. c. Strong & CO., oyster anu
clam planters and wholesale dealers fni'oh MA,
ket slip against whom complaint was maui ~
when the fish protector came 20 our r -,
man vera sorting lot Of CLANS that had JUST pee"
received from Massachusetts,. IheY were f'
on. the small ones for planting and the larger o''
FOR sunnlvinc our customers. Seed clans or pea
nuts, as they are called. will sometimes run a.
high as 400 TO the barrel. but the co'"'"e', ga
clam for consumption only runs aoou' DOW ~ Va
barrel We have been in the habit OF receiving seeu
49,, ,or, NIassachueetts and planting them at
Canarsie but since that has been ueci"iou "
We have stopped H.
1T HINDERS PLANTING CLANS.
"Tbe law not only makes the sale OF CLANS OF
,oss than one inch thick punishable by a me Oh
800" sad Mr. Strong Out also the possession VI
clans Of less than one inch thick. ana me Nou' W
Appeals has decided that even planted c'al' a.e
o-o Interfering with every hotel and restaurant
ksener and every man in the clam business ior 'he
sake Of getting one-haf OF the fines TO "hic" ''e'
are entitled on securing convictions
..There has never been any scarcity OF Gains ~
INV danger of scarcity. 1t is a curious facI nov"
s mat when a lot of seed CLANS Is planted about
!, 600 of them will set in space no Digger una"
mans hand. In three years 'hele WIN ~
about five mature clans in the lot ana al '' ''
will have been crowded out and have dieu' Inc i"i
the secd is raked and moved about the bet'er WIN
.brtve This is shown by experience in Irhce pay
p,ara when the weather has permitted huhdleus
of sloops have raked and dredged daily ior 'he dS'
forty years. and there arc now inoio ~ ~
ever ,r,,,,
LARGE INTERESTS AFFECTED.
There are. in this city, about twenty-five ac'u"i
planters of and wholesale dealers in oysters anu
Iaros whose aggregate annual sales amount 10
hou, e. 900 600 An equal business is proDap! zone
nv others who send their product 10 TINS ma'Ne' ~
wagon and railroad. and by extensive re'd'0i9' VIM
have their own beds. The total annual business %
hetween $4,000 and 100000 which, II seems 10
me- is an industry large enough FOR those WHO '"'tS
A. ON 70 be exempted injurious and unnecessary
interference. ,,,,,,..
q GATES secretary and treasurer of Middleton
caruan G. co. Incorporated, OF Fulton Market
against whom complaint also made said feo-
,o don, want br clans and ho;el-keepers Will not
h,v any hut small ones. The law wnich MAKES '"e
ossession Of CLANS Of less than one men th'ch pun
tshable by fine is unjust, and do not 'hihh ]" -
constitutional Suppose that man VINO mas sum
rner home wishes plant cams IN waters he"' 10
nren,,ses He buys seed and takes it there 20 pant
and propagate the species II he is compalned OF pS
nro,ector before ne has the seed planted ne Is Ia
h,a N a heavy fine This certainly is unfair, ana
tends 10 prevent the increase Of the species by oe
creasing the quantity Of seed planted oeieNe ''"'
the legal limit as to the SIZE Of clans when may
he possessed and sold could be reduced al ieaS' oe
half with perfect safety"
LOBsTERS AND TERRAPIN SCARCE.
Yr sneaking Of the growing scarcity Of Holsters
md Of some kinds of terrapin. Mr.. Gates said; Lob
sters are four cents more pound at Wholesale IN
Portland now than they were at this time last year
They are now from to 10 cents a pound ny the
barrel in Portland which receives large supplies
from Nova Scotia. by August they will probably
no from Il 10 Is cents The United States Fish
Commission Is Matching good many Holsters
at Woods Hole. but whether or not they can sue
coed in materially increasing the general supply re-
mains TO be seen
'aTerrapn are now out of season. Southern ter
rap!n are plentiful when in season. but Chesapeakes
are scarce on account Of the heavy demand, which
IS disproportionate to the supply The demand Tor
high-priced terrapin smaller last season IMAM
during the previous season. The reason ior thlS Is
probably because many who had not before hesitated
at high prices sought the cheaper grades for con-
sumption on the grounds of economy mad necessary
by hard times and a'scarciy OF ready money
Eugene c. Blackboard of Fulton Market, who
was for thirteen years president Of the YORK
State Fisheries Commission, said: The men who
had the law regulating the sale or possession Of
clans evidently jumped at conclusion. Ihey
apparently thought that If the number Of small
clans taken not materially restricted the
species would in time be exterminated This does
not apply to oysters. Forty years ago there was
taste for the large ones known in the trade as
Saddle Rocks Now every wants small ones.
has CHI
beds does no, interfere with the propagation OF the
species as oysters are plentiful
LARGE CLANS AT A DISCOUNT.
"There is a growing taste among consumers FOR
small CLANS" he continued, when oysters are OUT
OF season. but the present law prohibits an indul-
cence Of this taste no matter waere the cIahs co'
from whether from New-Jersey or MASSACHUSETTS,
II they are less than one inch IN thickness Ihere
are more large clans put upon this market annually
than can be sold at profit, and on that account
dealers are declining to receive consignments from
other States. Notwithstanding all the taking OF
small clans. in many years there has been no per
ceptble dninution in the supply Of large ones,
which are wanted only for roasting and for making
chowder CLANS Of one-half the legal size would b
TOO small for general commercial purposes. but 90
not think that the taking OF any size no matter
how small would interfere with their propagation
The law restricting the sale and possession Of clans
is entirely unnecessary, and 1t entails a hardship
upon the people by depr!ving them of delicious
food which they desire in summer.
Fish generally wonderfully plentiful Shad
have been plentiful and cheap this which is
now drawing 20 an end. The supply Of shad which
was decreasing a few years ago. IS now increasing
on account OF their extensive artificial propagation
Trout are now cheaper than they have been before
IN the last twenty years Their peniifulness is at
tributable TO their extensive artificial cultivation in
private preserves and 10 large supplies OF wild trout
received here from Canada and elsewhere.
HOLSTERS are growing scarcer every season The
law here permits the sale and possession OF Holsters
that are only nine inches long while in Maine and
Massachusetts, whence we receive large supplies
Il. irche Arfin al rrnn