Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-01-29

I'iah lor any previous year IN the his
tory of oyster affairs except one-lasi
year. The financial statement shows re.
ceipts turned into the Auditor of Public
Accounts for the year 19O7-'OS ST..
761.31; gross expenditures, S39, S75 Os,
less paid deficit shown in previous re-
port. 81, $50 on. The net disbursements
for the year from the oyster fund were.
therefore, $32, 319.O1, showing that
out of every $40 collected we have
used but 81.
Discussing the James river situation.
the report says:
"This river is more largely in the
public eye, for patent reasons, than
any other tidal section. 1t has been
brought by agitation into undue promi-
hence and Importance. Out of a total
of 23O, 900 acres in the entire State, the
natural oyster grounds of the James
number but 26, 740 acres. Of this the
seed beds are but one-half, or about
one-twentieth of the natural beds of
Virginia. True, the small area of seed
ground is more valuable than an equal
area in many other places, and it is
also less valuable than some. AS to
the 13, 721 acres of James river seed
grounds we venture the assertion that
not 10, 900 of them are being legitimately
utilized, a good proportion being held
unlawfully by Warwick planters, the
zigzag lines established by law requir-
ing physical impossibilities to maintain.
Because of lawless disposition, inbred
for many years, and intensified by re-
cent agitation, this Commission of
Fisheries has had to devote unwar-
ranted time and means to that terri.
tory. (The same, to large extent,
was true of our predecessors.) In fact,
about one-fourth of the navy and our
expenditures are devoted to the James.
Do Gne Of Two Things.
I'm contrast with this, the Potomac
With many times greater area and out
put the Rappahannock, with $4,000
acreas (S5 per cent greater natural area
han the entire James,; the Pocomoke
sound with one rock alone that all
he James natural oyster bottom might
De hidden i'm; the ocean side (ten times
is prolific of seed, and many times
he area); Gwynn's Island and the lit
lie Piankatank with area nearly equal
o the James,, to say nothing of the
fork, Great Wicomico, Elizabeth.
hampton Roads, Mobjack Bay, Tangier
'ound-all told, some $500 square miles
4 patrolling- have all been deprived
4 their deserved share of policing be-
ause of the James. The State might |
'e well rid of the James trouble and
Expense by either prohibiting planting
bove the seed line, or else turning the |
nitro thing over to planters. This lat
err desire, we may say, is the chief cause
all the uncalled-for notoriety just at
resent over this mite of field"
The report goes on to say that mas
1uch as there is no regulation as to
ne size OF oysters to be taken from
he James, boats from all parts of the
tate rush there the first few weeks
the season, clean it up and decamp
or other places where a Gull law pre-
ais, and where they work for the
of the season.
Going After Pirates.
In all branches of business saws
ne report, twill be found some un-
crupuious men. Some planters urge
ne lawiess class of tongers to catch
nlawful sized oysters for the twofold
urpose of procuring seed and Of de-
letting rocks that they hope may some
ay be rented out as barren bottoms.
must be borne in mind that a large
ercentage of bottom made bare by
'nging will recover and become again
rolllc If let alone, and all depleted
round can easily be reseeded by the
lanting of shells. Hence the desire
get such bottoms at the rental of
an acre per year. The oyster police
ave guarded Virginia beds so strictly
lat the old policy of robbing the
cks of their shell coatings 20 build
private beds has been abandoned.
ID the harvest of young growth
ginning two years ago has been fos-
red so effectually that mature oysters
e beginning to be fonnd now in I
1t should not be forgotten
at one year, or even two, car make
Tie showing on oyster bottoms, but Z
past two or three years admins
alton of our oyster affairs is produc-
most f1attering results in the pres e
Vation ef the OYSTER c.
continuing, the report says, in part: -"
pose Leasing Protective Rocks. u
The last Legislature gave the COM d.
ssion means for better policing. and W
have rigidly done it. We were F
zen fuller scope, but practically no p,
proved laws, and thus much of our in
ort has fallen through. W
10 lease the producing rocks would W
an to pauperize ten to the aggran- al
ement of one already rich. To turn st
the rocks (as we once thought of re
lndoning in the upper James) would
an good time for a season or Two nc
after that desolation. is
An oyster rock is seldom or never ar
reality rock. 1t is such bottom as la
young can adhere TO and thrive ar
IN, sometimes composed of hard to
d, sticky hard mud, or, best of all.
lily bottom created by centuries of
'osit from deceased mollusks. Not
fourth part of our 5000 square
es of salt water bottom is suited to au
growth of oysters. Shifting sand of