Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-03-16
OYSTER CULTIVATION.
DR.. w. X. Brooks Says Nature
Must be Assisted.

Must be Assisted.
Among the advocates of the bill
now before the Maryland Legislature
providing for proprietary rights in
grounds under water for the estab-
lishment of oyster beds is DR.. Will
liam K. Brooks, professor of zoology
at the Johns Hopkins University, who
has long made a study of the oyster,
both from a scientific standpoint and
with special relation to its propaga-
ton by artificial means.
"There are many persons" he said
yesterday, "who do not believe that
private oyster beds are good thing,
arguing that nature has made full
provision for the perretuation of the
shellfish so much sought for by epi-
cures all over the world. This is, TO
a certain extent, true. The oyster
lays thousands of eggs, but many of
them never develop. Ofcourse, how
ever, many of the eggs do, and it will
often be found that single oysters
lay of eggs does more to supply the
beds than other thousands of oysters
put together.
"But while nature has provided
for the cotinuation of the species
against all natural enemies, it has not
provided for the raids of man, and
this is what is depicting the valuable
beds of the Chesapeake. That oys-
tiers can be successfully raised, if
properly planted, has been proven by
experiment.
cit is not generally known that an
oyster bed, we'll planted, will nstur-
ally spread outside of its dominions
and improve the other beds in the
neighborLood. For this reason the
cultivation of the submarine beds is
more desirable to a community than
that of farm. An oyster bed i'm
proves the adjacent property, while
the cultivation of several acres of
farm land does not add to the value
of the acres which may be across the
fence.
can oyster is as easy to handle
as a potato. If you throw him
in the water be doesn't swim away,
but remains just where you put
him and you know where to find
him and his progeny. There is
an almost unlimited field for de-
Velopment IN the beds of the bay,
which according to surveys, number
about 100000 acres.
Professor Baird, founder of the
Fish Commission, stated some time
ago that bluefish were killing other
valuable food fishes, not only for food
but wantonly. This is doubtless
true. Nature, it will be found, has
made all provisions for death of the
fishes by accident or otherwise, and
it is only when man comes in that
the supply is threatened. Just as man
kills the fish to eat just so can he
aid in the propagation of new ones,
This is true with the oyster beds,
Nature will keep the oyster race GO
ing if the race be left alone, suffering
only from accident and natural
enemies, but when man comes in and
assaults the beds the natural laws
cease to have effect and, if the sup
ply would be kept up, man must turn
in and assist the oysters in their
growth.
"Adequate protection should be
given in the first place and practi.
cal illustration has shown that the
cultivation of the beds is a natural
remedy, the same course which il
pursued throughout the world in
gathering the fruits of the soil. The
leasing of the beds would result,
have no doubt, in revelation of the
immense source of wealth of Mary.
landers."