Evening star., 1912-09-15
TONCERS ARE READY
Oystermen viii Begin Work on
the River Tomorrow.
TO BE BUSY UP TO APRIL rs
Prospects Reported Good for the
Coming Season.
SOME UNSETTLED QUESTIONS
Beneficial Results of the Legislation
Enacted in Maryland and
Virginia.

lHueT lIe laws Oh ldliu anu ' IL
ginia the oyster longing season on the
Potomac should open today. but as the
laws also forbid oysterng Sunday the
tongers viii not be able to start work
until tomorrow morning. when several
hundred will start operations in the
Potomac and it's tributaries Until this
year the oyster taking season on the Po-
tomac opened September /. but in the
tributaries of the river it was illegal to
tong for oysters until September l.. The
legislature of Maryland and Virginia,
during their sessions this spring changed
the law to make longing illegal until
September Is in both the main river and
its tributaries. At the same time the
dredging season. which last year began
October 10, fifteen days before the season
opened on the bay. was charged to No
vember l. so that the dredging season on
river and bay will begin at the same
time. This, the Potomac oystermen say,
is good law. as it will prevent the heavy
influx of dredgers from other portions Of
the two states and the cleaning out of the
oyster beds in the river before the open
ing of the season on the bay.
For the past month in every little har-
Dor along the river from lower Cedar
point to its mouth. the oystermen have
been busily employed in putting tongs,
boats and other raphernalia in shape
for the opening of the oyster taking sea-
son. Al the 1lTSC SLTedk OF GAVIN ION1OT-
row they will leave their homes bound
to the nearest natural oyster beds from
which the laws say they may take the
oysters undisturbed.
Oysters Mostly From the Potomac.
While some oysters from the bay beds
are used in the restaurants and other
eating places Of the city, by far the
greater portion of them come from the
Potomac beds. and they are as fine stock
as can be found anywhere in the world.
The oyster is found in the Potomac from
Lower Cedar Point to its mouth. and
those coming from the Nonlini, Lower
Machodoc Coan or Yeoconico in Vir-
ginia or from st. Marys, Smiths creek
or the Wicomico in Maryland are always
in demand.
The dealers at the wharf market look
for the arrival of oyster-laden craft to-
morrow, but the oysters they will bring
will be from private beds and 1t will be
the middle of the week before the oysters
that the tOngers will take from the nat
ural beds begin to arrive. At the local
oyster wharf the shucking houses have
been cleaned and made ready for the
opening Of the season, but it will be
about October l before the season is in
full swing at the wharf and the full
force Of shuckers are employed in eX-
tracing the oysters.
Prospects for Good Season.
Reports coming from the oyster beds
In the lower Potomac state that the sup
ply will be good as the beds are full of
good size marketable oysters. The oys-
termen. however. are in a quandary about
bringing oysters to- the market here. Last
season a number of vessel loads of oys-
ters were condemned by the Department
Of Agriculture as containing germs that
made them unfit for food. The depart
ment then made an investigation of con-
ditions the Potomac oyster beds. 1t
was expected that before this the de-
partment would have made public its
findings, and would let the Oystermen
know what beds were found contaminat-
ed SO that they could be avoided until
after samples had been tested this sea-
son.
This the department has failed TO do.
The oystermen claim it is unfair not to
give them the information. 1t is also
asserted that last season cargoes would
be brought here from the same beds and
those in one vessel would be condemned
and those in the other passed. The men
cannot understand this and would like
to have some light on the subject.
But the experts at the department do
not seem disposed to give any, but will
let vessels bring the oysters here SO that
samples can tnen De taken LOT eAdlIlIId-
ton Another aspect of the question is
that the uncertainty as to the healthfui-
ness of the oysters prevents many per-
sons from buying them and causes a
serious loss to the dealers, which they
claim IS entirely unnecessary.
Season Lasts Until April 25.
The oyster longing season will con-
tinue until April ., but the dredging sea-
son will close March -. The business
OF taking the oysters from their beds.
bringing them to market and selling them
gives employment to hundreds of persons
who in good seasons make excellent
living.
For the past ten years or longer the au
thorities of the two states have been TAX
ing steps to prevent the determination of
the oysters in consequence of the foolish
and waSteful methods OF dredging. To
enforce the laws both states maintain
fleet Of fast steameR and sailing craft
who patrol the oyster grounds and pre-
vent violations of the law for the pro-
lection OF the beds. The beneficial re-
suits of the legislative action can be
seen in the increase in the quantity of
oysters on the beds and in the improve
ment in size and quality.