Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-11-15
tCommunicated.)
"AUNIY SPEC" REVIEWS
NATURAL OYSTER CULTURE


ing what the papers say about the mag
nifcent report of the Board of Fisheries,
the congratulations and articles on
violators of the oyster laws, wall of
small planters, remedies suggested,
advice given, shortness of funds, etc, i,
and thought that it about time for
me to butt in, as usual.
There seems to be unanimity of opin-
ion among all classes that the up
country people should be educated in
oysterology. l think that very
good idea, but the education should
begin in first reader on oysters and
not Greek lexicon on good roads. The
teacher should also be competent to
teach oysters, not public schools. Now
| hope that will not be charged with
exaggerated Ego on this line, for have
had thirty-five years practical exper-
fence in the school as an oysterman and
l ought to know little something about
the practical, if not the theoretical, part
of it.
The first thought is the work done by
the Board of Fisheries:
We all know that the Board of Fish
cries was 1--WE might say) an. accident.
1t was, at the most, an experiment. Pre-
vious to the creation of the Board it cost
$50, 900 to protect the rocks with only
one steamer. The revenue derived from
the industry was about S15, coo, leaving
a deficit of about IS, 900. The up-country
members of the legislature were cussing
us all of the time and trying to sell the
rocks. Tidewater people were as strenu-
ously fighting to retain them. SO il
was sort of see-saw game, with the
result that Tidewater would invariably
get her wish every time. Now the
deficiency was mostly caused by in
competent officials, who had no head
until the legislature created the Board
of Fisheries as an experiment, giving
them $50, 600 to experiment with. Re-
member, the first Board had only
one steamer, the Chesapeake. They
added the Accomac, sold the Chesa.
peake and bought the Rappahannock,
two small steamers.
From its incipiency the wisdom OF
creating head for the oyster industry
was seen. In the place of deficit OF
So, 900 prior to the creation of the Board
the surplus has steadily increased, year
by year, until the report of the present
Board for 1906-07 astounded the people
of the whole State, with its grand total
Of 100000. Instead of a deficit OF
$5,0 900 there was a surplus of over
500, 00O-after taking out that muchly-
pratedextra expense all of which went
into the Golfers of the State.
Now how about the appropriation?
Did that increase? Not a bit of it 1t
is still in the same old rut.
The State last year derived So for
every one put in the business, that is,
directly. q will have something to say
on the revenue derived indirectly later
on.) In connection with the above |
would like for you to study this as a
business proposition. How many busi-
ness men would object to investing their
funds in business which would so in
crease that in nine years it would pay
them 800 per cent, and Increasing every
year? Don't you think that business
which would pay that percentage could
be so developed that it might be made
to pay considerable more ? Don't you
think that it. would be very unwise to
leave your business unprotected when
your managers had made you an aGdi-
tional $l8, 600 by eXpending an extra
$4,000, especially. when you know that
the extra profits came from ''gilt
edge" source that instead of decreasing
will be more liable to increase each
year if you will develop the property in
any manner but "a penny-wise and
pound-foolish way?"
The farmer that spends 800 for fer
tiiizers and makes one hundred more
barrels of corn on his land than he would
have made had he not used fertilizer is
5000 better off. and his farm would sell for
more than if he had worked it to death
like some of his neighbors. The mer-
chant that spends thousand dollars a
year in advertising and makes ten
thousand more than his competitor
across the street, who does not believe
IN advertising, will be apt to spend two
thousand next year and the other one
will in all probability be sold out by
the sheriff. Just think over this, il
don't mattel what business you are in
just think, study for yourselves, and Sc,
the injustice Of allowing only $40, ,00C
CAPITAL TO RUN A THREE MIL
LION DOLLAR BUSINESS.
The old Board. knowing how the,
were handicapped for funds, knowing
that by practicing the strictest econom,
could not more than pull through, an
with the up country people (who did no
understand the situation) clamoring 70
more revenue and to lease the oyste
rocks, feared to branch out into to
deep water. The present Board nc
only saw but knew the possibilitie
, that were in the business, PRACTICAL
''took the bull by the horns" and wade
] in with an eve single to the intaFast q