The sun., 1898-11-06
The Delaware Bay Bivalves Su-
periOr to These Caught in
the Chesapeake.
LAW is STRICTLY ENFORCED
None Of tho Oyster Men Keep
Those That Measure Less Than
Three lnches-NO Fear Of
Famine in This
City.

which the oyster beds Of the Chesapeake
bay have diminished.
The reports state that several hundred
leaders in the oyster industry in Mary
land have presented strong petition to
the Governor Of that State urging that no
valuable time be lost in making such
changes as will prevent the further de.
pletiOn OF the oyster beds.
They demand the strict enforcement
OF the Gull law, which, forbids the tax ing
out of the bay OF oysters unless at least
% inches long, and requires all under
that size caught in dredging be thrown
back into the bay. ApeDalty of not less
than $50 and not more than $500 is inn
posed for each offense.
1t is charged that this law is violat-
ed, and oysters below the lawful size
are brought up the bay and sold to pack
ing houses, and at the present rate it is
only question of comparatively brief
time when the Chesapeake oyster beds
will be thing of the past.
The oyster men want the oyster police
force dismissed unless the law is en-
forced in every section Of the bay.
1t is further charged that influence is
brought to bear on the officials who are
relatives of the men to whose advantage
it is to catch these under-size oysters.
The oyster dredging season opened on
October II and will last until March l.
Less boats were licensed to- dredge this
year, owing to the decrease in the num-
ber of oysters.
The fleet this season consists l, 100
boats. The boat owner is required to
pay license of $2 SO per ton, and as the
tonnage of the boats averages about fifty
tons, their license runs up to about $l25.
Vessels under five tons are not licensed
through the Custom House, but pay
nominal fixed sum to the county author
tiles and are well-known as ''tongers."
The men employed on the boats make
from $l4 to $40 month, and live on the
boats the larger part of the winter.
1t is understood that Commander
Turner of the oyster navy has been sent
a notice of the petition by the Governor.
The reason that the Wilmington men
are not troubled by these tales Of woe
from Maryland is that they can get along
very we'll without the Chesapeake bay
oysters, as they are getting better glade
VI vy otCl OIlC bClAW0iO
There are no alarming reports from,
the oyster beds in the Delaware bay, but
on the contrary, it is said they are
rather increasing than diminishing and
everyone is consequently happy. Very
few Chesapeake bay oysters have been
brought here during the last few years.
S. H. Selover & Son of this city received
a consignment of one load of $50 bushels
three years ago. but not many since that
time.
The favorite places in the Delaware
bay where the oyster beds are most
abundant are Cape Shore and Maurice
River Cove. The oysters gotten from
these beds are fatter than the Chesa-
peake bay variety.
A bushel of Cape Shore oysters will
frequently open up from six to seven
quarts, while the Chesapeake bay oysters
will yield only about four quarts. Not
full boat load of Chesapeake bay oysters
has been brought here this fall as vet
Quite lot of Chesapeake bay oysters
were planted in the Delaware bay, and
these have been growing very nicely,
and even these are better than those
grown IN the Chesapeake bay.
The natural growth of oysters in the
Delaware bay is in good condition, and
irediging on it is now in progress. The
iredging boats run from Egg Island to
stony Point. The law fOrbidding the
aking out of under-size oysters is said to
oe well enforced ON the Delaware bay.
md the oystermen feel they have no
lick coming to them.
A large number OF oysters are brought
o this city from Delaware bay during
he season. S. II. Selover Il Son get a
'oat load every day. Mcclure & Thomp-
on also receive frequent boat loads.
)ealers also frequently purchase oysters
rom captains who bring boat loads to
his city at different times.