The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-18
A Prominent Oyster Planter
Says Business Is in Dan
ger Of Destruction.
URGES BREAKING
OF BAYLOR SURVEY
Richmond Men Hear Discussion
Of Oyster Culture, and Manifest
Much Interest in Situation.
What State Should Do
to Remedy Present
Conditions.

Oyster culture was discussed at
length last night before Post A of the
Travellers Protective Association by
Mr.. Richard Armstrong of Hampton.
the members of the organization ask
ing many questions and showing great
interest In the conduct of the busi-
ness and the steps recommended for
Its protection. Mr.. Armstrong warmly
advocated the breaking of the Baylor
suryey-a temporary provision which
was made sixteen years ago for the
benefit OF /. the oyster business, but
which has now outgrown its useful
ness. and which threatens to impair
seriously. IL not to destroy utterly,
this Industry in Virginia.
That the oyster question is of imme-
date Importance to Richmond business
men was shown by the speaker In his
statement that under proper condi-
ton. tho industry in this State should
have an annual pay roll of $1,000. 600,
sum equal to five times that of the
Richmond Locomotive Works when
running at full blast.
The expenditure of this amount an
nually within a radius of $50 miles of
Richmond, and with Richmond as the
metropolis of the section, was pointed
to as an immediate and cogent reason
for local interest in business which
the speaker considered to be seriously
threatened, and which he feared might
entirely disappear.
Virginia Goes Back.
Mr.. Armstrong exhibited number
of charts and answered great va
riety of questions affecting the bust
ness, explaining at length the methods
of raising oysters and the history of
the business. showing a wide familiar
ity with the laws of this State and
other States, and declaring that owing
to her present laws Virginia can no
longer compete with Connecticut.
Rhode Island and Louisiana, and that
under laws passed by the last Legis-
lature. Maryland is rapidly outstrip-
ping Virginia as an yster.producing
and shipping State.
At the instance of the Virginia Leg
islature of 1902 survey was made
OF the oyster grounds known as the
Baylor survey. all the area within GER
tain prescribed lines, 100000 acres.
more or less. being declared public
lands. in which any person might catch
oysters with tongs. The Speaker eX-
plained that the Virginia oyster. ex-
cept the kind raised on the Eastern
Shore. Is brackish water oyster.
whose spawn is best hatched about the
mouthss of rivers. where the water is
neither too salty nor too fresh. This
spawn floats on the surface of the
river until Its shell begins to form,
when it sinks. If 1t falls upon rock
bottom or other oyster shells, the
spawn takes hold. and in two years
time produces a well-sized oyster. II
1t falls on mud bottom or in too deep
water, it dies.
Mr.. Armstrong exhibited the plat of
the lower James River in which there
are about 15,soo acres of public land,
protected piI 1, under the Baylor survey.
there are large oyster deposits. place
which has in years past been the
supply Of the. Virginia oysters. and
has. in fact. furnished seed to other
States Using this James River plat as
an Illustration OF. what is going on
IN others rivers, Mr.. Armstrong said
that thousands of people, more than
half OF whom are .colored, are paying
the annual license fees and taking seed
from the ground. The regular plant
ers take the seed or young oysters
by the boatload to their private
for year or two in water in which