The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1907-03-29
Best Method to Operate New Oyster
Law.
For the Democratic Advocate.

Judge A. McC. Mathewson, who for a mum.
Der of years was connected with the Board of
Shell Fish Commissioners of Connecticut, in
speaking of the best method to be adopted III
operating the new oyster law III Maryland,
said:
"We have in Connecticut 5000 acres of
natural oyster beds. The trouble which we
encountered was in defining these beds and
drawing the distinction between the natural
beds and barren bottoms | understand that
the same problems confront the MARYLAND
Commission and from the same causes. When.
however, we established the line our troubles
were over. The Supreme Court of this State
rendered decision confirming the bcundar
les of the natural oyster beds which had been
defined by the Legislature and as soon as these
exact boundary lines were established The rest
was easy. Your Maryland Commission will
make it's task easy if it will definitely, finally
and resolutely fix the boundaries ofthe natural
beds After we had established these boundar
les, the laying out of the barren lands became
an easy task. The planters took up the land
which was absolutely worthless and have trans
formed it into valuable oyster beds.
The greatest problem which the Maryland
Commission must settle, and settle amicably
and at once, is the controversy between what
we call the natural growthers" and the cul-
this question. The natural growthers will soon
be convinced that oyster cultivation is of the
greatest benefit to them and in five years they
will be surprised that they so long opposed
cultivation They will find their opportuni-
ties greatly extended.
The cultivation of the oyster has reached
high degree of development. Each of the
larger cultivators has his various kinds Of
ground on which the oyster will set, grow and
tatten and they are transferred from one kind
of ground TO anotherin the preparation for the
market.
The grounds in the rivers and harbors are
used mainly for fattening or maturing oysters
from deep water AT New Haven about 2OO,-
900 bushels of seed oysters are planted each
spring for fall and winter use. The inshore
oyster grounds are often valued as high as a
thousand dollars an acre. Some men who are
fortunate enough to own five to ten acres OBJ
tain a comfortable living by stocking an acre
or two each year with seed oysters bought from
the sound Long Island) planters. The sales
of matured oysters amount 10 one or two
thousand dollars year. The capital invested
is small and the owners have much time for
other pursuits.
The system of sound planting, or more
properly, deep water oyster farming, Is more
complicated. 1t began i'll 1865 in water twenty
to twenty-five 1eeL III ueptn, DetWeeu FISH Is
lands and Norwalk Islands. In 1870, the
planters began outside of the Norwalk Islands
and a few years later off New Haven Harbor.
The planting consists in the strewing of three
or four hundred bushels of oyster shells, and
thirty to forty bushels of mature oysters to the
acre, to settle on suitable bottoms. This is
done in the months of July and August. The
planting of the old oysters is often omitted
when adjoining beds are likely to furnish spat
for the new bed. Experiments have been
made with crushed blue stone. Gravel has
also been sown, the spat will adhere to any.
thing that is clean; even old rubber boots have
been dredged up with thriving colony at
tached If there is no spat, as in 1888 and
1889, which were gloomy years for the oyster
men, the shells or other material must be
dredged up to be dried on the docks for use
the following season. If permitted to remain
under water they become Shiny and therefore
useless. After the beds are prepared the
planter is kept busy watching for the star fish
and dredging them up; he is also stirring up
his beds at the proper times. Then comes
the dredging and sale of seed oysters. The
successful planters are at work the year round,
for it is in this as in other occupations-to
we'll directed industry nothing is denied.
Cultivation has been extended to bottoms
thought unfit owing to softness and other