Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-10-19
Fedora Government Promoting tht
Industry in Every Possible Way.
FACTS ABOUT BIVALVtS
United States Produces More of Them
Than Any Other Country in the
world-Grow Best in the Blended
Waters of Rivers.

WASHINGTON Oct. 1S.-During a
talk today with DR.. Hugh NJ. Smith,
the president of the American Fisher
les Society ana United States deputy
fish commissioner. II was learned that
the oyster production of tho United
States is greater than that of all the
world combined. and that also the oys.
Ter production of this country rs far
more valuable than that of any other
single water creature.
The fact that our native oyster is
daily growing in Importance. so far as
ths business interests connected with
1t arc concerned. is due, he says. to
the circumstance that the most of the
states on the seabuard have awakened
to thg value and consequent necessity
of its cultivation. 1t has been proved
by actual practical experience that
acre for acre. oysters in selected
oyster s.ound pay more and better
than any agricultural product--hetter
by far than even wheat mt $l50 n
bushel, These are facts which make
one sit up and do Il power OF think
ing. pscially when DR. Smith. who
is one OF the greatest experts on fish
in this or any other country. adds
that any man o. woman having land
on amy OF our sencoasts can embark
In oyster production as Il business
with lut small expenditure of time,
energy ANA money and that on this
MS in other fishery matters. the United
States Bureau of Fisheries Will he
pleased To forward to inquiries all de-
ST. ed Information The bureau has
really no Jurisdiction over the oyster
grounds. but will lend its hest efforts
To aid those who wish to cultivate
them. hut teaching them how TO pro
pagate them, to increase that propa-
CATION and to fatten them for the
market.
Demand Greater Every Year.
Year by year the demand for these
luscious hivilvcs increases in every
section of the country. and MS the de-
mand grows the supply is scarcely
keeping pace With It, the result being.
a popping up of prices ut the rate of
twenty-five per cent. every couple OF
wears A few years ago. the oyster
Industry in some of Tie most import.
ant producing communities was " n
bad state owing chiefly to the fact
Of tho current helicf that because the
s,iciions could and did use oysters nd
lildtum their grandchildren and othc-
folks could do so too When they
asccrtained how egregiously they were
mistaken, q good many of them
promptly set about repairing their cr-
ror. This was especially the case
in the Chesapeake region. which is
said to he the greatest In the world.
because Of its phvsical conditions ard
its immense hoTv of salt water with
numerous fine streams flowing into II.
these fresh water streams roducine
the natural saltiness OF the sea water
Where They Thrive Best.
OYSTERS will not thrive nearly as
well in sea water as they will in the
blended waters. where they rapidly
increase in size and flavor, In this
connection. il may be added that there
arc over 10000 localities not now in use
for oyster grounds where ovstc~ cul-
iivation can be carried ON ana where
il can be conducted very Drofitnhy.
There are about thirtv.two million
bushels of marketable oyster gathcr-
ed from the grounds now under Guilt
walton every v7ar-iust regular crop
and thew Icing i'm on an AVERAGE
from Sl7.000000 TO sl9000.000 to the
producers OF course the consumer
NAYS double that amount And through
the wonderfully rapid DEVELOPMENT of
rcfriec "atOr cars the inhabitants of
inland sections. who formerly had TO
he con'eniod with canned oysters. now
have The Measure Of having "ovstcrs
on the half SHELF served fresh on
their tables at home These oysters
are nronoi'lv DaclSpl and ca-iad for on
route. 50 that when they arrive At
ihcir destination they are as :1f and
tonthsome as when thnv left the oyster
gronnds. Apropos Of faitoninr oysters
thero IS General belief that oyste~a
are fe1 with mixtrr, Of oatmeal and
wnter hut such thing Is smnlv i'm.
nosshle and TOO absurd IN be consid-
cred in anv wav practicable