Evening journal., 1902-09-01
NOW DREDGING
FOR THE OYSTER
Bay Fleets Away at Break
Of Day
LARGE YIELD IS PROMISED
DrCdgerS Also Say the Yield Will
Exceed in PatneSS ANY for
Ten Years
LARGE YIELD is PROMISED

Dredging for oysters by sanction OF
law began In New Jersey and Delaware
today at break of dawn, and the first
shipment of Western Shores and
Maurice River Coves will arrive by the
water route on Wednesday, September
3. According TO the oystermen this
years yield will exceed In quantity and
in the fatness and toothsomeness Of the
oysters that OF any former season for
ten years back.
Maurice River Cove is eighteen miles
long by ten miles wide, and Is owned
and controlled by the State Of New
Jersey. The beds are leased TO indi-
vidual planters at a rental per acre.
the proceeds going to swell the public
school funds. These beds are jealously
watched over during the summer
months by Commissioners jeremiah N.
Ogden, Edward j.. Riley and Edmund
Stiles. Jr.. and Superintendent A. T.
Bacon. The cove is patrolled by three
sailing vessels, and n steamer, pro-
vided with a powerful searchlight is
now being built for the purprse. Tho
law further provides that one must be
q resident Of New Jersey 10 lease. plant
or dredge a Maurice River Cove bed,
although exception is made in the case
of three Philadelphians, who dredged
thera before the law was PASSED.
It is estimated that the average daily
yield from the Maurice river beds alone
during the months containing n ct"
will be about 100000 oysters. and that
the value OF the yield for the season
will reach into the millions Of dollar.
There are over 500 oyster boats in tbs
cove during n busy season, each rang
ing In capacity from ten to fifty tons.
/ and each provided with two dredges.
which ara used to rake the oysters from
the Deds. The consumption OF oysters
when placed In figures would stagger
the ordinary person. yet to the oyster
man there is no end to the string OF
ciphers, as he will tell you that the
spawn OF one oyster is capable Of yield
ing 100000 other oysters.
The boats Of the Philadelphia oyster
fleet. which ply the waters of the Della
ware shore. are the largest employed in
tho oyster traffic. some running as
high as seventy tons, and capable of
carrying from 100000 TO 100000 oysters
= each.
Ten big local oyster houses were rep
resented in the fleet which cleared
Philadelphia ON Saturday. On Monday.
August IS. several parties were taken
d down by rail and the beds we're thor
oughly inspected. They were found to
/ be in excellent condition. Now, an
I oyster Is the most dumb as well as the
= LATEST thing on earth or in water,
+ and no one knows it's ways. and that
i hr NLQ Ia ~
. why this years yield will be larger and
better than ever before is not forth
coming.
Under the laws of New Jersey and
Delaware dredging with steam as mo-
J tive power for the windlass is pro-
hibitory. We're it not for this condi-
tion the annual yield OF the Delaware
beds would be far greater than at
present There has been a growing
fear in recent years that the oyster was
, dying out and that It was in danger OF
disappearing altogether within a deo-
e ade Thus it came that three enter
Q prising Philadelphlans-Geor Y.
d Shock, II. A. Rogers and William Shil-
lingsburg-pooled interests and started
10 raise their own seed stock.
These artificial beds lie in the rip
arian grounds between Cape May Point
a and the Jersey shore. They are eight
miles square Last spring 10000 bush
els 3f oyster shells were spread out in
e piles Of about one bushel each, arranged
), on the plan OF field OF hill corn. Tht
n first stripe Of oyster spawn fioated
through the beds on July 10, and be-
e came attached to the shells, while the
!, second stripe appeared on August
e and the oysters are now growing nice
s ly. The oyster spawn floats shore
!, ward. and, being heavier than water
e slowly sinks and clings to the shell:
d or anything else in its path