Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-09-18
FISH AND OYSTER NOTES.

TlSn ANUUISIEkNUIES.
Reports from the upper Potomac are
to the effect that the freshets have de-
stroyed large quantities of young oys-
tiers.
1t takes FIVE years to raise a frog to
full size and eating quality. He will
live seven years, but grows tough by
that time. Frogs live on small fish,
insects, etc, but will eat his own kind
when hard up. A frog must see the
prey alive or he win not touch it as
rule. In Minnesota in the winter season
they gather in so-called nests, and as
many as 500 or more are sometimes
taken from one nest. From the 10. 600
lakes Of Minnesota not less than 800, coo
worth of frogs are caught annually.
Profound students of fish and their
habits state that they have proven that
the growth and productiveness Of fish
are subject to such mighty natural in
fiuences, such as climate, changes in
the various regions in which they fire.
quent, that they may be regarded as
independent of the interference of the
fisheries of man. 1t seems certain that
man has considerably reduced the num-
Der of paddock and cod in some waters,
but not to such an extent as to have
more than temporary effect upon fish
ing interests. Man cannot exterminate
them. We get some idea of the great
wanderings of fish when we learn that
the larvae of eels are found only in the
deep waters of the Atlantic. Fishing
Gazette.
During the early part of the last CEN
tury, even, oysters were in such general
disfavor that they were burned in enor-
nous quantities, just as taken from the
beds, to obtain their lime, which was
reputed superior to the ordinary article;
while on other occasions their popularity
was so pronounced that the very life of
the natural beds was threatened. Dur
ing the last twenty years the oyster
industry has been revolutionized, not
only in the methods of harvesting oys-
tiers, but in the opening up to develop
ment of thousands Of acres of ground
which only few years ago would have
been considered barren in so far as the
growing of oysters was concerned, until
today this great business, with total
annual output of fifty million bushels,
is prosecuted in twenty states of the
Union, gives direct employment to
hundreds of thousands and indirect en-
ployment to as many more, and repre-
sents an investment of at least three
hundred million dollars.-The Romance
of the Oyster in National Magazine for
September.
We have tried to get information
from all the oyster-producing sections
OF our country, and we give the follow
ing synopsis of our survey: The "set''
has been abundant all along the Allan
tic Coast; in some sections it has been
phenomenal in quantity and quality.
Private planters have had an unusual
catch, and many of the natural beds
have an abundance of spat: this is
especially true of the Southern waters.
The seed for the season has been good
andplentiful. In Virginia waters plant
ing has been limited on account of the
supply of seed. Never have the planters
in the East put overheard so many shells,
and on these shells there has been an
abundance of spat. One man in the
East has planted more seed on his pri-
vate grounds than has been planted
by the whole State of Virginia. The
marketable stock of large size will be
plentiful and in good form. Packers
are making every preparation for a
busy season; they will be ready early in
this month for the trade. The com
mission houses are keen for business,
and tell us that indications point to 9
rush at the beginning. The Oysterman.