Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-11-13
OYSTERS NOT SCARCE.
Newspapers and Officials Prove
That Virginia Has Plenty of
BivalveS. but no Market.
lFRos NORFOLK LANDMARK. NOVEMBER Al

ihdt virginia has Plenty of
Bivalves. but no Market.
lFRos NORFOLK LANDMARK NOVEMBER al
Regarding the condition of the oyster
industry locally, prominent dealer
and packer said yesterday that the
trade is much better than it has been so
far this season.
| The supply was never better. Cooler
weather has increased the demand. but
prices are low on account of surplus
stock in other oyster producing States.
lFRoM NORFOLK LANDMARK. NOVEMBER 81
There is absolutely no truth in the
reports to the effect that oysters are
scarce in Virginia, except on the upper
James and Potomac.
This was the reply made last night
by Chairman w. Mcdonald Lee, of the
State Commission of Fisheries. when
asked if it was true that there was a
scarcity of oysters in Virginia.
Mr.. Lee said that there were some
folks who insisted on talking about the
alleged oyster scarcity when, if the
facts were known, they know nothing
of the question.
1.-The only scarcity of oysters in the
entire State" declared Mr.. Lee. els
on the upper James river and the upper
Potomac river.
why, the Norfolk and Hampton
buyers are getting all the shocking
oysters they want up on the Potomac
at from twenty to twenty-five cents a
bushel.
cat this time last year these same
buyers were paying from forty to fifty
cents per bushel for oysters not one bit
better or more desirable.
From my own personal knowledge
L can say that there are on hand TODAY
from % to so per cent. more oysters
than at the same period year ago.
There is no scarcity of oysters in
Virginia, except in the places men,
toned.
$50 plentiful are oysters in the Po-
tomac that dredgers have left that vi
cinity for the reason that they could not
| make sale OF their catch.
IF there were a scarcity of oysters
in the waters of the Old Dominion the
prices would soar, and the extremely low
prices now being received by the dredg-
ers and tongers is ample proof that the
statements are unfounded."
PORTSMOUTH STAR. NOVEMBER IL
While nvctorc IN
not been of extraordinary size and
quality this year, the local dealers do
not feel any apprehension. The bed
rocks are yielding as well as can be
expected. Bivalves are selling at mod
crate rates, and the lover of the oyster
need feel no fear that his taste i'm that
direction will not be gratifed. Moder-
ate prices prevail and rather good oys-
tiers are at hand.
Not so with Baltimore. In the Mon
umental City there is not only a search
ty of oysters, but a raise in prices and
a reduction in size. Speaking of the
matter the Baltimore Sun says:
I'm contradiction of the encouraging
reports given at the opening of the
season that the Chesapeake bay and
tributaries would give an abundant sup
ply of oysters, later Investigations of
md beds and natural rocks show that
there will be only about one-half the
quantity caught compared with that of
previous years. One encouraging feat
ure, however, is that what oysters are
being caught are fat and excellent in
quality, but small. The grade known
as selects will be very scarce. Reports
from the Potomac river state that the
supply there is about one-half of that
expected. and the same condition exists
elsewhere in the bay.
IAN investigation down the western
shore of the bay develops that there
will be in that section a great shortage
in the catch anticipated by the oyster
men at the beginning of the season.
THE results from dredge thrown
overheard from Cove Point to Holland
Point. where heretofore the best oys-
tiers have been caught, brought to the
surface nothing but dead oysters and
shells. Off Point Lookout it is reported
more than one-half of the oysters are
dead, and at Drum Point, which here
tofore contributed generous supply of
fine stock, the same condition exists.
In Tangier sound, it is stated. there are
now but about a half dozen small
scrapers of the large fleet which reeu-
larly work in that territory, and with
the exception of the vessels mentioned
the vessels have left to try their luck
elsewhere in the bay"