Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-03-15

From the Baltimore sun.
In the discussion of the oyster plant
about the splendid results of planting in
Virginia, Connecticut. Rhode Island
and other places. But even Maryland
itself furnishes an object lesson in
oyster planting which should not escape
attention
This object lesson is furnished by the
planting industry in Worcester county,
and it verifies every claim made for the
Hannah Oyster bill. 1t not only does
this, but it negatives every objection
made to the Hannah oyster bill
In Worcester county planting has
gone on side by side with free fishery
of the natural beds. and the rights of
free fishery and the rights of oystcrmen
generally have been undisturbed.
There is no limitation upon the amount
of bottom which each planter may take
except that no person shall stake off
more than five acres in one place. and
yet no monopoly has grown up, although
the law has been in effect for IL years.
oYSTERMES ARE PLANTERS.
The Sinepuxent oyster planters. in
stead of being corporations and trusts,
are the oystermen themselves. They
stake off the lots and engage in business,
and where they Lack capital people hav-
ing capital are ready to furnish it, go.
ing into partnership with the laborer.
and sharing equally in the profits. The
waters of the sinepuxent are far less
productive than those of the Chesapeake,
and yet tina 80 square miles of the Sine
puxent in Worcester county in which
oysters grow bring to the county, it has
been estimated, more clear money than
all the farms
Facts make the best argument These
facts show:
First--Plantingd does not interfere with
the natural beds nor the right of free
fishery.
Second-That it does not result in the
formation of a monopoly.
Third-That the industry of the
tonger is not destroyed. but that he
shares in the benefits of the system.
Fourth-That it is enormously profit
able.
SINEPUXENT BAY.
Worcester is the only county in Mary
land except the western portion of Gar
rett which is not drained into the Ches.
apeake. Along the whole ocean front
there is sand spit known as Sinepux-
ent Beach. which separates from the
ocean and forms large and shallow
inland bay. In the upper part of this
bay the water is too fresh for the pro-
duction of oysters. That portion in
Maryland in which oysters will grow
begins at the Virginia line and extends
northward about 10 miles. The width
of this portion of Sinepuxent is from six
to seven miles. The depth of the water
is not mnch over three or four feet, ex-
cept in the channel. where the depth Is
as great as eight or ten feet.
The water of the bay is sluggish, there
being but little tide. A. the oyster can
not go after Its food, il must rely upon
the tides and currents to bring it to
him. and in this respect the Chesapeake
has great advantage over the Sinepux-
ent. IL has another great advantage.
The waters of the Chesapeake are so
rich in oyster spat that in order to form
bed of oysters it is only necessary To
put some hard substance in the water,
such as shells or stones. upon which the
swimming spat may fasten. In the Sin
epuxent, on the other hand, seed cys-
tiers must be planted.
SEED OYSTERS.
These seed oysters are obtained from
two sources. James river, Va, and the
North Carolina sounds. They range
from the size of dime to ? inches in
length. The cost is IL cents bushel
for the James river seed and 30 cents
for those from North Carolina Owing
to the distance from which the seed
oysters come they sometimes arrive in
poor condition and failure of the crop
results. There are vicissitudes in the
business of planting, but no more, the
planters say. than in "A wheat or other
farm crop. The James river seed costing
ID cents "A bushel, remains in the water
two or three years, aud each bushel will
yield "A barrel of exceedingly fine oys-
tiers, which will fetch in the local mark
ct from - to $50. The North Carolina
seed grows more rapidly. but does noc
yield so well
WORK ALI. THE YEAR
While the Chesapeake oysterman is
idle during the summer or during "A
freeze, the Worcester oysterman is en-
gagged profitably all the year Ia the
summer he takes up his oysters and
separates those of IA marketable size from
the small ones. The latter he returns to
the beds and the former he places where
he can get them conveniently when
the market needs them. During the
freeze this winter while the chesapeake