Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-09-06
FISH AND OYSTER NOTES

IlStI ANU UISIEk NUlEI
Police steamer Commodore Maury is
this week patrolling the York and
Potomac rivers and Tangier and POGO
moke Sounds.
Oyster season for the Potomac river
and in Maryland opened September LIST.
Dredging begins there October 18th.
The longing season does not begin in
Virginia waters, other than the Poto-
mac, until the 18th of this month.
Lagrange Mill dam, in Middlesex
county, near Urbanna, gave way few
nights ago, caused by the boring of
muskrats. The water carried away the
flood gates and % yards of the dam, be-
sides other damage. Great quantities
of fish went out in the flood and
thousands of them persisted. The
damage was about S70O.
Reports are to the effect that there
is promising growth of oysters-par-
ticularly of last summers set-in
James River, owing to close guarding
of the beds last summer and this. AS
a rule buyers try to get in their work
the first week in the James as after
that prices get too high for seed and
planting stock.
PilotJ. r. Thompson reports seeing a
large number of dead Chesapeake turtles
drifting about in the track of vessels in
the vicinity of Smiths Point. Some
were nearly four feet long. They were
floating well out of the water. Such a
large number of dead turtles, he thinks,
must have been caused by conditions
that he cannot account for, as he never
saw any before.
NORTHAMPTON OYSTER MEETING.
From Hampton Monitor)
The result of a meeting of fifty
oystermen at Oyster, Northampton
county, Thursday, August 22nd, will be
interesting, if not rather startling, to all
Tidewater. The action of this conven-
ton, which contained State Senator Ben.
I. Gunter, of Accomac and Legislator
John T. Wilkins, of Northampton
county, and fifty oystermen. about
evenly divided between planters and
tongers, can be best summed up in
giving a synopsis of the resolution
which was passed unanimously by the
convention before the closing.
The substance of the resolution is to
the effect that whereas, there has beer
such a pronounced decrease in the oys.
ter business in the section of North.
ampton in the last three years, it i:
necessary for something to be done t.
check this decrease, and. if possible Il
bring the oyster business back to it:
former condition. That this work is o.
equal Importance to the longer, planter
and packer. That in the opinion o.
this convention there was too much va
cant oyster bottom held within tn,
lines of the Baylor survey, which is al
together unproductive, and gives al
area so vast it is impossible for tn,
state to guard it and thereby protec
the seed oyster.
Final action was taken in appointing
committee of three tongers, tire,
planters and one disinterested party
who will draft resolutions for meet
ing which will be held at the same
place tomorrow afternoon at 4 O'Clock
which will set forth the best rene
dies for the existing conditions.
The resolutions, it is thought, will
ask that there be change made ir
some of the lines of Baylor survey. /,
is understood that the sense of the pro,
position in that all of the natural rock
be left in the survey, that only the
barren and unproductive bottoms be
taken out for renting purposes. 1t will
be observed that this is altogether diff
ferent from the old Jordon Bill, which
was so bitterly opposed. This bill pro-
vided that all of the rocks be leased.
BY taking out the barren bottoms,
which could be planted it would narrow
the commons down so that they coulc
be watched. 1t said that the oyster
business is being destroyed by thieve.
which the State cannot keep off.
complete change of mind is said t.
have come about in the oyster matter
and the proposition now laid down fol
a change in Baylor lines is regarded a.
popular. Certainly it is favored by
Northampton county.
The greatest scarcity of oysters evel
known exists throughout Tidewater.