The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-06
The Oyster Industry.
Its importance to Virginia.
b. CHARLES MINOR BLACKBOARD, N. D. 4

| ters, and some years ago a survey, called
tho Baylor survey, was made to deflno
the limits of stEh beds. Any citizen OF
Virginia cah get seed oysters for trans
planting from a natural rock. but Is not
permitted to claim such as private bed.
pri,nto oyster ground can bc leased from
the state on payment OF an annual rental,
but no ono but a citizen Of Virginia can
hold such bottom or oven own stock In
q company holding such lease. N
Before an oyster ground Is assigned 1t
IL surveyed and recorded by nh oyster
inspector, and then It's boundaries are
marked by stakes driven into the bottom
slnkes must DO flexible, however so MS
not to Interfere with navigation, as that
is nh nallcnabe right. After comply
ing with the necessary fo17nnlitics the
tract Is sown with shells to provide
''cultch" for tho spat, and seed oysters
nre planted. In the coves and creeks OF
tho Chesapeake Bay, young oysters are
about $50 Of an inch In diameter when
they attach themselves, but by tho end
of the first season they nre about IL
inches long, and when two years old tncy
nre from 10 to ga inches long, and
from two to three inches long. First quail
ity Lynnhnven oysters are marketed when
lbo,t three or four years old.
oysters are gathered In two ways: by
longing and by dredging. Tho tongs are
like two long-hand1cd garden rnlses pi-
voted together so as to open and close.
Tho FISHERMAN stands In small bout
and feels about on the bottom with the
& tongs until bunch Of oysters Is found.
lie then opens tho tongs, grasps the bunch
ana lifts It into the boat. This is lnbo-
rlo,ls, but is much loss destructive than IS
dredging. The dredge consists OF a nuns
Der of curved iron rods SGT IN frame,
and looks like small horse rake. II IS
dropped overbonrd and dragged over the
bed by a rope from the oyster boat. ~
gathers oysters In large quantity, but II
kills many by injuries and Dur1es sLll
more After being gathered, the cdust ers
are broken apart and tho oysters cuIeu.
Those under the legal size are picked out
and returned to the wntor, while the 9th
ers are barreled and shipped for half
shell eating or are shucked and sold ~
liquid measure. " |
The only by-product OF the oyster IN
dllstry Is the shells that accumulatc IN
vast quantities at tho shucklng houses
In earlier days the shells Of oysters
clans. mussels, etc, wero the chief source
OF lime for agricultural purposes.
All along the coast extinct oyster beds.
old shell hctlps and even living beds were
resorted to by formers for a top dress
ing for their fields. Tho latter practlce
was so destructive that 1t was forbidden
by law, and as soon as the rhllroslos
maze INC BTetLL oi|o "
cessible, the use OF shells for lime oe-
clncd.s MIrl and burned limestone nave
largely replaced shells, but some bo'We
tons OF shells from the shucking houses
are still used annually. Broken oyster
shells are used to some extent as maca
dam metal for roads, and the railroad
between Norfolk and Virginia Beach mas
made them q clean and dustless ballast.
For a long time the shell heaps were an
.unmitigated nuisance, and the shells wore
gladly given to anyone who would carry
them on. With the growth OF private
beds arose n demand for them as cultch,
and a charge OF one cent busne was
made. The price WAS raised to two cents,
and now It is usually thrce cents-h price
thnt adds many thousands OF dollars TO
the receipts OF the dealers.
The oyster industry comnoses rather
more than three nfths of the total value
Of the Virginia fisheries, and It is steadily
Increasing. In 1901. as compared with
1897, there was an Increase OF Sol. 5v9
bushels in quantity and $S31, 773 In value
OF the product. the figures for the latter
year being I, sS5, 447 bushels, valued at 81
023, 45G For many years Maryland was
ahead of Virginia In the production OF
oysters but the depletion OF many nat
,lr;il beds and the passage Of Il law by
Virginia forbldding the export Of seed
oysters from that State has greatly di.
unfinished the output. 80 that the last
rct,,rns show that Virginia has passed
her old rival and leads the Union In the
.production of this important delcacySs