The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-11-14
OYSTER OUTLOOK
Question of Breaking the Baylor
Survey Now Before the
Legislature.
FULL REPORT OF TIE OYSTER
COMMISSION.

D ithNf ~ AflifA NJ
Your committee, after spending about
seventy seven days ia examining the oy r.
ter rocks. beds aud shoals Of the state
and investigating all the questions which
they were directed 10 investigate 10y said
act, is now prepared TO ans wer such ques
tiOnz with reasunAtle accuracy, aud r.
ports ~ follows.
! The first inquiry Of said act T.:
How much bottom, Il any, there ir
within said survey, which wns either
barren at the tine said survey WAS made
or which had become 20 exhausted 10y
overwork or otherwise ~ not iO be proiit-
able To be- worked 10y the licensed tong
men of the State authorized To work the
same. and which will not reseed itseli
/ naturally within three wears.
There are at least 1900 acres in.
clu ied within the Bay lur geodetic sur
vey and the various additions thereto.
| Of this area NJ least - per cent was
either barren originally or has become 40
exhausted or depleted by Overwork and
otherwise as not To be profitable To br
worked hy the licensed tungmen oi the
state. aud will not rerred itsrli natural!
within three yeArs Indeed. your com
mittee thinks IL will not rerted its u nj
all under present. conditions. This csiI'
mate il based upon AN actual exAinina-
tiOn made 10y your committe oi "a very
large proportion ui the Baylor survey IA
various sections Of the State where such
survey l. located. and your committee
believes that this examination Ia n lair
tert Of the whole survey, ~ they wrrr
careful 90 select, ~ well as might br done.
that portion of the survey which would
show average cOnditi ms.
,. The second inquiry l.;
How much. II any, oi such barren or
exhausted bottom il for any rnnsr
worthless for planting purposes, ~ that
the same will not be applied Tor by
planters?
Nearly al ci such barren and exhausted
or depleted bottom In valuable ior plant
ing purposes. aud none of IT il worthless
for such purposc-, except about 10000
aeres uu the srAsiie of hccOmac and
northampton counties, which embraces
mArshlAnd. included within the survey
There are some acres Of shifting sand and
derp wAtpr within the survey, but they
arr comparatively insignificant, anu
will. for the most part. be taken ny by
planters. along with the valuable bot
toms to which they are contiguous.
, The third inquiry ir.
How much, II any, Oi such barren or
exhausted bottom can be leased out to
planters without injuring or endangerlng
the profitable oyster rocks within said
survey
All Of the barren and exhausted or de
pleted bottom referred To above, can be
leased out To planters without ininring
or endangering the profitable natural
oyster rocks within the said survey.
T. The fourth inquiry is;
Whether or not the leasing Of such
barren or exhausted bottom would be 10
the best interest Of all the people Of tn
state
Your committee is fully satisfied that
the leasing out Of such barren and e1
hau.ted or depleted bottoms would he
TO the best interest OF all the people OF the
state
;. The fifth inquiry is:
How much, # any, ground suitable
for planting purposes, and which would
probably be taken up by the planters,
there is outside of the said survey
From the testimony of those interested
in the oyster business in the various sec
tions Of the state, and from the best
evidence that your committee could get
on the subject, your committee would say
that practically all the planting ground
outside the survey which can be utilized
in the present condition OF the oyster
business has been taken up. There II
some acreage Of oyster bottom outside
OF the survey which may, in the future
development OF the industry, become use-
ful To planters, and. no doubt, will be
taken 90 by them; but under the present
conditions, and with the present scarcity
of seed oysters. such bottom Is not profit
able. and will not be taken up by the
planters 1t was hoped that the deeT
water planting of oysters. which the leg
irlature had tried to encourage, would
| prove successful, but such planting has
| so far proved failure.
g. The sixth inquiry is:
ANY other facts which said committee
NAV deem useful to the General Assembly
I'm determining this question ?"
Your committee brgs leave, in answer
! ing THE general inquiry, TO say that The
present situation Of the oyster industry
| uf the state il a critical one. We have
in the tidal bottoms OF the State i'm
mense areas. upon which, with lair anC
reasonable legislation, there can and will
be developed one OF the greatest indus
tries Of the state. Although other States
have made great advances in the oystel
industry, this industry may still be saiC
TO be in its infancy, and Virginia is jus
now in a position to lead America, and
therefore. to lead the world In the pro
duction OF oysters. The cultivation o
oysters is. of course, dependent, first, up
on the seed supply, and under the slegif
lation which has been in force In Virgin
ia the seed supply has been greatly d
minished. until the scarcity Of seed be
gins to threaten the very life OF the oyf
ter industry. While the State has spen
large sums OF money 10 the enforcement
of the season law and the Gull law, hav
ING for their object the preservation an
nernetuation OF the natural oyster beds
. and especially the seed beds, such expend
tures have not resulted as satisfactorily
/. az was hoped, and the natural oyste
beds are becoming year by year les
proftable. II the State will provide sue
legislation a. will enable her planters {
obtain q full supply OF seed oysters, sh
4 can lease to them many hundreds {
! thousands Of acres OF planting groun
I for the purpose Of growing oysters an
iattening and preparing them for ma
i ket. This, in the opinion OF your con
mittee, can only be accomplished by lea
4 ing TO the planters Of the State all sut
y bottom within the Baylor survey as W
! not produce oysters naturally 10 sue
3 ouantities as TO be profitable to the pu
4 lie workers. by the proper use OF su,
depleted and exhausted bottom, u
planters will be able 10 supplement- Z
seed supplies taken from the natur
rocks 80 as to satisfy the needs OF {
oyster business as it is being develop
3 and iucreased.
The policy OF tbs. State should be to
10 duce and simplify the surveys of I
70 natural beds, so as to save for the tor
ers and other public workers such pa
al the said surveys az viii produce o.
tt- -. an cf.nt ouant3tiea IN make