Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1903-11-25
REPORT OF OYSTER COMMITTEE.

tue " Ster INDUSTRY IN Virginia
To the General Assembly Of Virginia:
Your Joint Special Committee. appointed
by act approved April :, 1903. begs leave to
report as follows;
Your committee, after spending about
seventy -seven days in examining the oyster
rocks, beds and shoals of the state and inves-
tigating all the questions which they were
directed To investigate by said act, is now
prepared to answer questions with reasona-
BILE accuracy, and reports as follows:
1. The first inquiry of said act is: How
much bottom, if any, there is in the said
survey which was either barren at the time
said survey was made, or which had become
SO exhausted by overwork or otherwise as
not 20 be profitable TO be worked by the
liceSened tongmen Of the state authorized to
work the same, and which will not reseed
itself naturally within three years"
There are at least 225.0OO acres included
within the Baylor geodetic survey and the
various additions thereto. OF this area at
least seveAty-five per cent was either barren
originally or has become 50 exhausted or
depleted by overworS and otherwise as not
to be profitable TO be worked by the licensed
tongmen of the state. and will not reseed it
self naturally within three years: indeed.
your committee thinks it will not reseed it
self at all under present conditions. This
estimate Is based upon an actual examina-
ton made by your committee of a very large
proportion ofthe Baylor survey in various
sections of the state where such survey is To-
Gated, and your committee believes that this
examination is a fair test OF the whole sur
vey, as they were careful to select. as well as
might be done that portion of the survey
which would show average conditions.
, The second inquiry is; 'How much. if
any. of such barren or exhausted bottom is
for any cause worthless fer planting purpo-
ses, 50 that the same will not be applied for
by planters
Nearly all of such barren and exhausted
or depleted bottom is valuable for planting
purposes, and none Of il is worthless for such
purposes. except about 10000 acres on the
sea side of Accomsc and NORTHAMPTON coun-
ties, which embraces marsh land included
within the survey. There are some areas of
shifting sand and deep water with the sur
vey' bnt they are comparatively insignif-
can't ane, indeed, viii, for the most part. be
taken up by planters along with the valua-
bic bOttome to which they are contiguous.
s. The third inquiry is: How much, il
any, OF such barren or exhausted bottom
can be leased out 10 planters without iuiur-
ing or endangering the profitable natural
oyster rocks within the said survey?''
All of the barren and exhausted or deplet.
cd bottom referred 70 above can be leased
out to planters without injuring or endan,
gering the profitable natural oyster rock,
within the survey.
4. The fourth inquiry is; whether or not
the leasing Of such barren and ey haustet
bottom would be 20 the best interest Of al
the people OF the state9n
Your committee is fully satisfied that IN,
leasing out OF such barren and exhausted q,
depleted bottoms would be TO the best inter
est Of all the people of the state.
3. The fifth inquiry Is How much. \
any grour.d suitable for planting purposes
and which will probably be taken up by tn,
planters, there is outside of the said survev?'
From the testimony Of those interested ii
the oyster business in the various section.
CT the state. and from the best evidence thai
your committee could get on the subject
your committee would say that practically
all Of the planting ground outside of the sur
vey which can be utilized in the present
condition OF the oyster business has been
taken up. There is some acreage Of oyster
bottom outside the survey which NAV. in
the future development of the industry. be
come useful TO planters, and no doubt will
be taken up by them, but under the present
conditions, and with the present scarcity OF
seed oysters, such bottom is not profitable
and will not be taken up by planters. II
was hoped that the deep water planting of
oysters which the Legislature had tried to
encourage, would prove successful, but such
planting has so far proved failure.
O. The sixth inquiry is: ANY other facts
which said committee may deem useful to
the General Assembly in determining this
question"
Your committee begs leave, in answering
this general inquiry, to say that the present
situation of the oyster industry of the state
is critical one. We have in the tidal bot
toms of the state immense areas upon which
with fair and reasonable legislation. there
can and will be developed one of the great
est industries of the state. Although other
states have made great advances in the oyster
industry this industry may still be said to
be in its infancy, and Virginia is Just now in
position to lead America, and therefore to
lead the world in the production of oysters.
The cultivation of oysters is, of course, de-
pendent first upon the seed supply, and un-
der the legislation which has been in force
in Virginia, the seed supply has been greatly
diminished, until the scarcity of seed begins
TO threaten the very life of the oyster indus
try While the state has spent large sums
OF money in the enforcement of the season
law and the Gull law, having for their object
the preservation and perpetuation of the
natural oyster beds, and especially the seed
beds, such expenditured have not resulted
as satisfactorily as was hoped. and the natr-
raj oyster beds are becoming year by year
less profitable. If the state will provide such
legislation as will enable her planters to OBJ
tain full supply of seed oysters, she can
lease to them hundreds Of thousands of acres
of planting ground for the purpose of grow
ing oysters and fattening and preparing them
for market. This in the opinion of Your
committee, can only be accomplished by
leasing to the planters of the state all such
bottom within the Baylor survey as will not
produce oysters naturally in such quantities
as to be profitable to the public workers.
By the proper use Of such depleted and ex-
hausted bottom, the planters will be able TO
supplement- the seed supplies taken from
the natural rocks, so as TO satisfy the needs
OF the oyster business as it is being developed
and increased. The policy of the state should