Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-02-21
FISRAND OYSTER NOTES.

Herring have begun to run in these
waters. The first good catch heard Of
was made by Capts. Jas. and Harrison
George, of Lancaster, Monday when
they took $500 from their net. They
are quoted at SO cts. dozen.
The Chesapeake Bay Fishermen
Association met in annual session in
Richmond Thursday and electe d
the following officers: President, Cap
tain Geoge p. Squires, Lancaster; Sec
Rotary, George N. Reed, Northumber-
land; Treasurer, John Hinton. Nor
cumberland. 1t was stated that the
association is asking no legislation with
regard to the fish question; that it has
invested atleast 81. 500, 600 in its bust
ness, that it employs over 900 men.
Senator Melbourn introduced a bill in
the Maryland senate making an appro-
priation of $25, 600 annually to purchase
and scatter oyster shells on the ode
pleted bottoms" of the Chesapeake Bay
and its tributaries. The work is to be
done under the supervision of the Mary
land Shellfish Commission. Where the
shells have been scattered will be mark
ed by landmarks or buoys. The loca-
tons so marked must be published in
such newspapers in Baltimore city and
the tidewater counties as the Shelffsh
Commission may designate. After the
shells have been spread the bottoms
covered are to be closed for two full
years.
The subject of scattering oyster
shells on the depleted bottoms of Ches-
apeake Bay is exciting interest. Many
OF the prolific natural bottoms of the
bay and its tributaries have for years
been contributing their wealth of food
to the world at large and to the mater
ial profit of the many persons engaged
IN the longing, dredging and packing
industries, with the result that they
are now to great extent depleted Of
anything to which the young oysters or
spat may adhere and grow and continue
to furnish their usual supply. 1t is a
well-known fact that the natural beds
are capable of producing greatly in
creased supply of bivalves if only as.
sisted by the scattering of shells on
those bottoms that have become depict
ed of clutch material. The advocates
OF oyster culture on the barren bottoms
believe that the cultivation of oysters
on such bottoms will greatly increase
and cheaper oysters. One thing is
sure, oyster culture is sadly in need of
encouragement and better protection.
Northampton Times.
Gen. Albert Z. Jones, of the Corps of
Engineers, u. S. A, in a report on
Chesapeake Bay oysters, says: Gun
der chemical analysis the oyster is COM
posed mostly of water (H2O). Inside
Its she'll, it lies enveloped in a watery
fluid which contains gelatin and some
of the salts of sea water. eff YOU
place it in fresh water it will in some
mysterious way mix this with its nor
mai fluid environment and absorb some
of it, with the effect of making it less.
salty and of increasing it's bulk. If
sufficient time be now given this oyster
will not to ordinary appearance be more
'watery' than before. On the contrary.
1t will appear to be fatter, it will not
shrink so much in cooking as before
and will bear transportation with even
less shrinkage. There is no doubt that
an oyster fresh from its native bed and
freshly opened in the shell is the oys-
ter at its best. But the same may be
said of every fish That comes from the
sea- 1t is decidedly at its best when
cooked at once upon coming out of the
water. So far as the oyster is concern-
ed it may be said that it is the very
best of So food products and can be
placed before the great body of our
people in clean, wholesome, enloya-
BILE condition at very reasonable cost.
the opening process simply detaches a
muscle from the shell, whose functions
are to open but mostly to close the
door of the house. The shell is nothing
more than dwelling place. 1t has no
lie functions within its structure. So
in detaching the latchstring that is
used in opening and shutting the door
but little harm has been done to the
occupant of the house. 1t swells in
fresh water, partly because there is
more food in it than in salt water. but
largely because of an unknown some