Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-11-25
PLENTY OF SEED OYSTERS.
Chesapeake Bay Beds Give Evidence
OF Greatest Supply Furnished in
Many Years.

have there been as many young or
seed oysters on the Chesapeake Bay
oyster grounds as now," said Rock
Hall, Nd, oysterman. "Every OBJ
ject to which the oyster spat could
possibly attach itself during the
summer is covered with the young
growth. The bottoms of the boats,
grass and all things in the water du-
riug the summer season give evidence
of the greatest supply of young
oysters in many years.
"Are the Chesapeake beds drawn
upon by other sections for seed oys-
ters with which to restock their de-
pleted oyster grounds?" dealer was
asked.
Thousands of bushels are an
nually taken from the river beds of
Maryland and trans2lanted in the
waters of other States" he replied.
"The bars and rocks in the bay do
not supply suitable stock for trans
planting as seed, consequently the
rivers are relied upon for the seed
lings.' The Potomac river furnishes
thousands of bushels. Prices range
too high during the fall and winter
months, and the running out of seed
oysters is confined almost exclusively
to the late spring.
CA man representing San Fran
cisco, CAL, oyster dealers was in
this city some time ago to make ar
rangements for the shipment of large
quantities of Chesapeake Bay seed
lings to the Pacific coast to avert a
threatened famine there. 1t was then
too late in the season and the thing
fell through. In fact, l think the
Chesapeake Bay small stock is a
trifle too large for the purposes de-
sired"
els it possible TO ship seed oysters
across the continent to be success
fully planted on the Pacific coast?"
was asked.
"It is not only possible" the
dealer answered, "but New York and
Connecticut have given up thousands
of bushels of seedlings in the hope
of avertiug a Pacific coast oyster
famine. Thousands of barrels have
been carried in refrigerator cars
from New York to San Francisco
aud replanted in the shallow waters,
where the native crop has been ex-
hauste6. For some cause, unknown
to the Pacific coast oystermen, the
growth over vast territories there has
become extinct. The size of the BIZ
valve was limited and if not caught
at exactly the proper time the oyster
died. 1t is fact that the Pacific
coast oyster beds are dependent
upon the new growth from the
Atlantic for their continued exis-
tence."
In reply to the question as to
whether or not the Atlantic seed
lings thrive on the Pacific coast beds.
the dealer said that the experimental
stage had long since been passed.
The transplanted oysters have been
planted and thrive on the same
grounds on which the native oysters
had failed. They also reached the
same size of the Atlantic coast
growth. and had retained the solidity
of flesh and delicate flavor char
acteristic of the Eastern coast pro.
duct. The transcontinental oyster
industry is considered an established
enterprise, and one which promises
to reach great proportions in the
future.
al am told," said the dealer, s.that
the oyster beds controlled by a New
York firm of shippers to San Fran
cisco dealers cover thousands of
acres in Long Island Sound, off South
Norwalk, Conn.,, at Rookaway,
Princess Bay and Newark Bay. Tt is
an enormous industry. The firm
owns eight strong vessels, each about
the size of small harbor lighter,
that do the carrying. The seedlings
are hurried from the beds in bulk,
dumped into barrels (four bushels to
the barely, headed up and rolled
into refrigerator cars that are
already iced, and are placed on end,
a hole being left at each end for
ventilation and drainage. A car
will hold los barrels, or 420 bushels.
In order to insure the arrival of the
oysters in good condition at San
Francisco each Car is iced six times
en- route. The freight is $6 barrel.
"The shipments from New York
last spring alone footed up $1,000
barrels, or $4,000 bushels. 1t is
thought by dealers here that this
rapidly developing industry may
within few years reach the Chesa-
peake Bay BEDS"