Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1910-04-01
FISH AND OYSTER.

There are l4.oOo oysters of full size
in a ton.
Oyster season in Virginia closed YES
terday Thursday.
Fresh fish" getting plentiful, but
not very cheap as yet.
The National Oyster Growers and
Packers Association will meet in Nor
folk May II and Is.
Large catches of shad were reported
last week on the upper Rappahannock.
From 500 to S00'were caught in drift
nets at one fishing.
DR.. Wiley, of benzoate fame, has been
worsted in an attempt to condemn
''hoated" oysters. We would have
him know that Virginia oysters grow
so fat they cannot be fioated or bloated.
! -Times-Dispatch.
With sein 1900 feet long and several
men to assist him, David Gautenbein. of
Red Wing. Mimi, in one afternoon took
from the upper Mississippi inland lakes
81, 200 worth of fish. This is going it
some in the destruction of fish.
The defeat of the amendments to the
Oyster Culture law recommended by the
Shellfish Commission has cast a gloom
over some Maryland Tidewater coun-
ties. In the minds of large number
OF people engaged in the industry it
spelled ruin for oyster culture in Mary
land. The ignorant, but powerful. vo-
ter ha won out, and Maryland will still
remain behind Virginia.
In the discussion at the hearing Sem
ator Frere, of Charles county, said that
IN the upper part of the tidewater Po-
tomac quantities of oysters start to
grow, but before reaching marketable
size are destroyed by freshe.s from
above. The question presented is wheth- i
er these smalloysters should be permit |
ted to go to destruction. or whether the
planters are to be permitted to gather
them for seed. This is proposed in one
of the amendments offered, audit would |
seem to appeal to all persons having a
reasonable and practical turn of mind. |
BALTIC. Sun.
This promises to be the best fish |
season in years" said Henry Levy, of
the well known shipping house of Isaac
tass. Prices have been kept up so
far by the season of Lent, during which |
there is demand for fish which the sup
ply will hardly meet, but after Easter"
said Mr.. Levy, ''you may expect to see
the price of fish decline to within the
reach of the poorest as an article of
food, as it used to be in former years"
Following up this cheering prophecy,
Mr.. Levy stated that the catch in
southern waters last winter was mea-
gre on account of the comparatively
severe season. He said though, that
the catch in the Chesapeake was very
abundant, and had started in from ten
days to two weeks ahead of the aver
age season. Norfolk Landmark.
Capt. Won. Nyvenheim, big Norfolk |
packer, states in the public press his |
recent opposition to the Byrd-Wickham
James river bill on this wise: ..All
praise is due Commissioner of Fisheries
w. Mcdonald Lee for the efficient man.
ner in which he has protected these
rocks in the last few years. He has
kept INSCRIPTIONS planters from steal |
ing the seed oysters during the summer.
and therefore the natural beds have
been more fruitful than ever before.
We know that he can guard what is left
without giving away the 1000 acres of
valuable natural rock. Mr.. Lee saws
that not another acre will be taken
away from the State if the lines are
Strengthened He has no lease on the
number of years of his life, and we
believe he is honest in his opinion. But
we do not know who his successor NAV
be and what he will do or recommend. -
SEA COVERED WITH DEAD FISH.
Masters of the steamers Brookline.
Beacon and Joseph Di Glorgio from
Jamaica to Chesapeake last week re-
ported scene at sea that none had
ever witnessed before. On Sunday
morning after passing Hatteras they
ran into surface covered by dead fish. |
The ships plowed through miles of them
and Captain Petersen, of the Beacon. |
said that with his glasses sweeping the |
sea the fish covered his vision. 1t was
thought that some subterranean action
caused their death.
BIG SHAD CATCH.
The shad fishing at Buckroe was phe-
nomenai last weak. One firm got
l,sOO Tuesday, and 20, 600 were caught
that week. 1t was estimated the catch
for the week would be $4,000 to GO. 600
shad, the largest on record for that
fishery. Capt. John e. Foster said thel
catch of shad was by far the largest in
his memory of twenty-five years as a
fisherman. and the best part of it was in {
the fact that roes We're in the majority.
Between 1900 and $l5. 200 shad were I
taken from nets there Monday. Fisher q
men along Chesapeake Bay report the