The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-03-13
Oyster, Game and Trucking Inter
ests in This Section
Valuable Information Gained by Sec
rotary Bruner to be Issued i'm BuIIe-
tin-Bank and Cotton Mill Charter
ed-RaIeigh Considering Question of
Municipal Ownership of Water
works.
Messenger Bureau,
Raleigh, n. c., March s.

~O~1 ~ I" S@AA N1SL ALI1oA
from Secretary T.. X. Bruner of the
state board of agriculture concerning
his recent trip to the coast and east
ern points in North Carolina. Mr.. Bru-
Aner had much to say about the oys-
tiers, game and trucking interests in
that section which are becoming more
and more factors that tend to develop
and advertise the states opportunities.
h asked about the oysters at New
Bern, Mr.. Bruner said that on his re-
cent visit to PamIico Sound he had
n o fortune to examine at New
Berne, Ocracoke and other points on
h sound some of the finest oysters in
size and flavor that had ever seen pro-
>duced in this state. AS to the condi-
ton of the industry he said: Il in
inquired about the condition and was
Informed that oyster men had lone
fairly we'll this winter, and most of
the products had gone to Norfolk and
TO points to the nOrthward. In going
through the sound, / saw twenty five
or thirty oyster boats dredging, most of
them on forbidden grounds. Inquiry
developed the fact that the laws peak
of natural oyster beds; Just what is
meant by the law in this explanation
and what oyster men interpret it seem
to be vastly different things, at any
rate L ain reliably Informed that
dredging for oysters has been prac-
Lced during the last fall and winter
without hesitation and upon reserved
ground. Thee OnditiOn of this indus
try, like that of the fish. is such as to
demand Of the state the most rigid
enforcement Of it's oyster laws. I was
informed recently by II packer that
so far as, the law was being complied
with IN regard to culling the merchant
able from the great mass Of oysters
taken, that i'll his opinion fifty thou
sand oysters are destroyed for every
one that is used. y little reflection Old
this point will certainly confirm his
remarks that something should be
done to conserve this very valuable
interest
Secretary Bruner has gathered in
Formation of great range and variety
that will prove Of inestimable bene-
Gt and also as a guide for proper leg
&lslation concerning the east country
: industries and products. Concerning
the game Of that section this painstak-
: ing officer said: SIN regard to game too
much cannot be said in praise of L.
'fG,ibert Pearson and the Audubon SOci-
ETY. under his direction. Sea birds
and shore birds GRO aOminO ha oIy RI
: their old nesting places in great num-
@bers, and bird life begins to remind
= one-though family yet-of the old
days before the feathered deniznse
were SO nearly eXterminated. The same
conditions prevail as to game. The
most notable work done has been the
stopping of what isknOwn as fire light
fng. This is simply light in the bow
of the boat which, by binding the
fowl, is driven in among the sleeping
flock when they are Slaughtered in
great numbers, and this process drives
them permanently from our waters.
In spite of the v~igilence of the game
wardens, it is still practiced, though
o a much smaller scale, so far in fact
that it is explained to be only to the
extent Of supplying fishing camps
that are engaged in marketing fish,oys-
tiers and clans, n no doubt a few
barrels and crates of game also go
along with them. 1t is legitimate to
ship game and unless the fact is
known, Their is no way of ascertain
ing if 1t has been legally killed. At
any rate conditions along this line
have been vastly improved, and l saw
great quantities Of red head, and black
head ducks and brant, geese and swans
"a flight of the latter being a sight
well worth going miles to see."
Secretary Burners photographs will
.. amply illustrate and embelilsh the
text matter which will be issued in the
form of a permanent bulletin. Some
:. interesting facts are also given by Mr..
nBruner as to the trucking industry, and
: the methods employed as compared
= with those in other sections farther to
the north. Regarding this feature he
said to your correspondent: THE
grounds are being prepared most care
fully, and the cold frames contain
beets, tomatoes, and other early vegeta
bles in great variety, while in the
fields the cabbage has d fine start.
Wonderful progress has been made in
the growing of lettuce within the last
few years. On the farms OF blackburn
and Willett. ". II. Bray about New
Bern great boiler plants were noticed
and inquiry developed the fact that
these supplied power for lettuce grow
ing-that is for pumping of water for
Z overhead irrigation, and for supplying
heat for warming the earth in which
the seeds terminate. By this process
two crops are grown each winter, one
< being at the holiday season, the other
in the early spring which will be on
the market within the next ten days
< It is a remarkable and interesting, even
a wonderful development, this produc-
ton of this crop, and expensive as il
seems it is cheaper and more satisfac-
tory than the hot house plant Of New
England and far more re~muneratlye.'
. Ar Rr1nar stateS that the farms SO