Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-12-20
FISH AND OYSTER NOTES.

FISH OYSTER NOTES.
The fisheries of the United States
amount annually to sos, 600. 900; and of
the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
$50, AIS, 600.
Fishermen of Wicomico held a meet
ing last Tuesday. They will hold their
annual meeting at Reedville night of
Thursday. the day after Christmas day.
The Commodore Maury captured
Slant, the notorious Norfolk dredger.
while operating about 2 O'Clock Thurs
day morning. He is being tried in
Suffolk as we go to press TODAY
Thursday.
A single oyster will lay about two
million eggs at time. They are vel
low, and, after leaving the ovary are
for the most part retained among the
gills. In this country the oyster spawns
from June to September. During their
growth the eggs are enclosed in creamy
slime, growing darker as the "spat. I"
or young oyster, develops. The young
swims, after it leaves its mother. for
about six hours after the egg has been
fertlllzed, and then it becomes fixed for
life or transfixed in death.
To give some idea of the treacherv
exhibited by some of the shipped
oystermen, whom the captains are
sometimes compelled to have, it is no.
ted that one night last week while the
oyster boat, Matte Cox, Captain Chas.
Haynle, was at anchor in Monroe Bav.
one OF these worthless beings took it
upon himself to destroy everything on
the vessel, cutting the rigging and do
ing other damage to the boat. Not
contenting himself with this, he threw
the dredges and other movable articles
overheard. He escaped in yawl boat
TO the other side of the bay and made
his way up the county. Westmoreland
Inquirer.
THE OYSTER SITUATION.
The oyster situation in the state of
Virginia, at least from the viewpoint
OF the planters and packers, is getting
more serious as time goes on and unless
some action is taken at the coming
session of the State Legislature the
industry is likely to become crippled
and hundreds of people in this section
will be affected.
The scarcity and poor quality of
seed oysters combined with the low
prices being received by the packers
at present make it impossible to anv
more than pay expenses and some
plants are being operated at a loss in
order to keep them open, in the hone
that the price will go up. The law of
supply and demand will eventually
raise the selling price, of course. but
IN the meantime the FISHERMAN who
has only limited capital behind his
business is finding it a strenuous I'M
uertaklrg to make both ends meet
Owing to the depleted condition of
the natural rock in the state. seed
oysters are scarce and those that are
purchased by the planters to be ma
tured and grown are costing them from
30 10 on cents bushel, an abnormally |
nigh price. On the other hand. the
dealers seem to be so well supplied or
there is such small demand for the
oivalves that the packers are RECEIVING
~ cents less than they did year ago
ana there seems no immediate prospects
Tor better market.
The cause of the situation the
say, is the depleted condition
d the natural rocks and they all agree
That to save the industry in Virginia
some action by the Legislature will be
needed Some of the planters
Iavor a plan of renting some
d the rock to the planters for deyelop-
nent, while others think a closed season
al the year around for awhile would
improve conditions.
The Board Of Fisheries has don.
everything possible to protect the State
md prevent stealing from the rocks and
{ has done excellent work, but the
iamage had already been done when
he Board adopted its present watch
system, and with the little sunnort
gwen to the Board by the State moth
ng more can be done. The Boards
equipment is entirely Inadequate. but
Nothing more can be done on the miserlv
appropriation given. Virginia todav is
n excellent financial condition and II ;s
o De hoped the Board of Fisheries will
'e given enough money to enable il To
properly conduct the work it is supposed
o accomplish. Newport News Times
Herald.
OYSTERS AND THINGS DISCUSSED.
tNewport News Daily Press.J
oysters, ships, small boat harbors
nd general boosting-to say nothing
bout all sorts of sandwiches and some
eiightful punch-were discussed last
light at one of the most enjoyable and
est attended meetings ever held bv ,
ne Chamber of Commerce. Every
iember present-and the hall was filled
nth representative citizens-learn-I ,
q things he had never before known
bout oysters and oyster business. and
there was one present inclined to I
de with the pessimists on local bust IF
ess conditions. he must have thrown
way his hammer after the meeting v
as over. Il
PRESIDENT Upshur called the meeting n
order promptly, and regular business
as disposed of before the special or
ar came I'D for c0nsidarat ior 4 Il