Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1899-03-11
Oar Oyster Industry.

MR.. EDIToR:-Please publish in
the next issue of your paper my ex-
perience in the oyster business. l.
have been frequently asked to give
my views in connection with the oys
ter industry. Since dredging mas
been stopped in Pocomoke Sound
oysters have become scarcer on the
rocks now than when dredging was
allowed. Notwithstanding dredging
has been stopped fifteen years. these
oyster beds have not been worked.
They have been laying in q dormant
| state, have not had cultivation, and
have been covered with sea>weed and
coral. They want stirring up and
cultivation before they will take
Young growth of oysters. Before
dredging was stopped we had plenty
of oysters in Pocomoke Sound. When
| the oysters became SO scarce that IT
did not pay to work on certain rock,
the dredger went to another one
where they were more plentiful, and
these rocks that they had worked on
would take young growth OF oyss
tiers in every case. But some people
have said to me, Capt. Marsh, If what
YOU say about rocks taking young
growth be correct, why have not the
rocks in Onancock creek taken a
Young growth? My answer to that
question is this, and know what am
talking about: If rocks are worked
in the spring the spawn is more apt
to stick, because the shells have been
stirred up and they are clean. Our
oyster rocks where dredged on, March,
April and to the 18th of May, will
warrant will have a young growth
on them. at one time we had plenty
of young oysters that were dredged
in the spring, now we hardly ever see
a boat dredging in the spring. Most
of the dredgers stop at Christmas or
a little later. Consequently when
the time comes for oysters to spawn,
the shells are full of mud, moss and
coral and the spawn cannot stick to
the shells. Now l want to relate q
circumstance that happened once:
Capt. John E. Evans, in October,
planted 500 bushels of shells and the
following spring a vessel dragged
ashore in ChesconnesseX-the vessel
was balasted with oyster shells. and
the first of May they threw the shells
overheard to tighten the vessel SO as
to get her off. The shells that Capt.
Evans put out in the fall never had
any young growth to my knowledge,
and the shells that were thrown over
board in the spring had solid young
growth in three months. The reason
we do not have more young oysters
is because we do not work the rocks
in the spring. I have been told that
some of our oysterrocks i'll Pocomoke
Sound, since dredging has been stop
ped, have entirely disappeared They
have sunk and, unless something is
done to pull out the shells from the
mud. no doubt they will finally disap
pear. Ask persons that have been
successful in planting oyster shells,
and they will tell you that the best
way is to put them in piles;the spawn
is more apt to strike them; that is
another thing in favor of dredging.
In dredging the dredge is apt to rake
M the shells in piles and the spawn
is more apt to strike. When an oys-
ter spawns, the spawn is adrlft IN the
water. and common sense tells us that
it is more apt to strike hill than q
valley. I have not an axe to grind III
this matter; am y years old, have
not vessel; never expect to dredge
nor have it done, but if dredging
these rocks will increase the oysters,
why not repeal the law and let the
people dredge them? I do not mean
to dredge rocks that are in shallow
water. l would propose a law for all
boats under ten tons belonging in
Accomack county to dredge i'll Poco>
moke and Tangier Sounds, that part
of these sounds being in Virginia, in
the months of March, April, and to
the 18th of May, and by so doing l
believe that we would soon find our
oyster rocks full OF young oysters, and
then the poor man would have g.
chance to make some money. The
poor man with small outlay could
| build himself boat so as to dredge
or scrape for oysters. The poor man
has not the money to take up oyster
ground and pay taxes on it and buy
Shells and oysters to plant. A great
many have boats and the State would
derive a much larger revenue than it
does now. l hope our people and
representatives will give this serious
consideration.
JOHN W. MARSH.