Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-03-17

sINEPuxENT OYSTER QUESTION.

SINEPUxENT OYSTER QUESTION.
One of the most sensible expressions
of opinion on the oyster question. rs it
effects Worcester County came from
the Baifimor, lmcriran Of Monday last.
The Imo.jcou says:
Sncpuxent Bay is narrow. shallow
waterway extending along the Eastern
Shore of Worcester County and is sepa-
rated from the ocean by continuous
strip Of sand dunes. the strip averaging
less than one-haif mile in width.
Though so close to the ocean, the wa
ters of SinepuXcnt Bay are fresh, if the
waters were sailed the bottom of the
bay is known to be admirably adapted
to the growth Of oysters An incorpo-
rated company has asked from the
legislature the grant of an enabling act.
under which it is proposed to open a
channel across the land strip connect
ing the fresh-water inlet with the ocean.
and from such connection il is expected
that the ebb and flow Of the tides will
salt the inland waters sufficiently to
make oyster culture profitable.
Oysters have been grown in waters
that have been artificially sailed, both
in this country and in Europe; the pro-
posed scheme does not therefore. base
its assumptions upon an untried theory.
In France. artificial lakes along the
coast have been constructed. and into
these lakes a suilicency of sea water
has been turned to insure the degree of
saltiness for oyster breeding; and in
such lakes oysters have been successful
" grown. Many ocean inlets have Il
high value for oyster culture purposes.
as has been demonstrated along the
New Jersey coast If SinepuXent Bay
can be adapted to oyster culture. and
there is small reason for doubt in the
matter. the fact has an immense inn
will bring into productiveness l25. 900
acres Of now comparatively useless
bottoms, but, above all it WILL if pushed
to successful realization. most likely in
sure a system of artificial oyster culture
in the state that will constitute an inn
pressive object lesson. Certainly an
oyster culture enterprise. upon the
great scale contemplated in the proposed
opening Of Sinepuxent Bay To the salt
tides would afford an opportunity for
illustrative parallels between oyster pro-
duction under methods of economic en-
terprise and oyster production under the
destructive methods of common fishery.
1t is. Of course, to be assumed that
the common interests viii be amply pro-
tected in any grant to corporate enter
prise by the legislature Of authority to
develop the Sinepuxent bottoms. The
development of these bottoms. or rather
the canal enterprise To salt the inland
waters so that oysters will grow upon
the bottoms, should be outside the
general oyster problem complications,
however BY no stretch of theory can
the SinepuXent bottoms be termed
natural beds or bars Oysters never
did grow there and oysters can be made
to grow there only by artificial prepare
ton. The l25, 900 acres which it is pro-
posed to open to oyster culture should
therefore be eliminated from the con
troversy that has been raging over the
proposal to lease some of the Chesa-
peake Bay and river bottoms. In the
letting Of Sinepuxent privileges, terms
and conditions should be fixed without
any serious difficulties. The tongers
and the dredgers can scarcely set up
claim to inherited rights Of common
fishery on bottoms from which their
fathers or their grandfathers never took
Il mollusk