Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1916-11-16
with more than six million bushels year

Win more tndn SIX HllhlOh OuSiiStSd d gSdi
Maryland and Connecticut follow. AS
regards the value of oysters taken, Con-
necticut and New York lead, with crops
worth two and one half million dollars
each; Virginia and Maryland come next.
The body of water that produces the
greatest number OF oysters in the United
States, or, in fact, In the whole world, IS
Chesapeake Bay. The latest statistics OF
the oyster industry show that il has an
output OF more than eleven million bush
els, valued at about four and quarter
million dollars. which is twenty-five per
cent OF the value OF the entire oyster
crop of the United States. In recent
years The oyster yield OF Chesapeake
Bay and tributaries has been considerably
less than il was formerly; yet the indus
try there is today in healthier condition
than ever before. The reason. is that,
whereas in earlier years very large
proportion of the product was obtained
from public beds, which were becoming
rapidly depleted, now a steadily incfeaS-
ing proportion oftbe oyster output is taken
from grounds under private control. s
In Virginia about one half the valuve OF
the States oyster industry is contributed
by grounds under cultivaiion-a condition
that twenty five years ago would have
been regarded as almost impossible. For
at that time Virginia and some other
States, believing that the oyster industry
should depend on natural beds and re-
strictive laws, discouraged oyster plant
ing on public grounds.
The policy was in strong contrast with
that OF New York and Connecticut. Those
States had cut loose from the old fetish
OF the sanctity OF public oyster grounds;
they leased or sold those grounds for
planting purposes and assumed The front
rank in oyster growing, although the
natural advantages OF Long Island Sound
for The industry were much inferior 10
those OF Chesapeake Bay.
The great area of her oyster beds gave
the United States an early lead in the
oyster industry but TO maintain that lead
she has had to adopt oyster culture as the
only certain means OF insuring a crop that
will increase every year.
OF the oysters now marketed, fifty per
cent come from private or cultivated
grounds. Owing, however, TO the bet
fer quality of cultivated oysters, the pro-
duct OF The private ebedsrepreseuis seventy
per cent OF the total value oil the yield OF
market oysters.
Wherever the oyster-growing industry
is active and The demand for oysters great,
il becomes necessary sooner or later 10
resort to arhficiiI Measures in order 10
maintain the supply. Fortunately, oy sters
thrive under artificial cultivation. But
the industry has suffered in important
regions where the States have failed TO
adapt themselves TO new conditions.
Nowhere in this country is there any ex-
cuse Tor continuing 10 rely on public oys-
Ter grounds as sources OF market supply
to perpetuate them only DELAYS progress
and impair prosperity. To discourage or
prohibit individual control OF land for
farming purposes would moi be less alb
surd than TO prevent person from ac-
quiriug submerged lands for oyster grow
ing. II is chiefly because most States
hsve accepted more rational standards OF
oyster culture that our oyster industry
is so prosperous to-day.
When reduced TO its simplest terms,
oyster culture consists in o. acquiring
suitable submerged bottom, (2) cleaning
and preparing that bottom for the growth
OF oysters, 81 sowing on il shells or other
material ("cultch") 10 which the young
oysters can attach themselves, az insur-
ing the production OF larval oysters by
the proximity OF beds OF adult oysters, 81
protecting the oyster beds from enemies,
(6) transpldnting as occasion fequires to
prevent overcrowding, and ~ culling
and sorting for market
A prevalent practice among oyster
growers in some regions is 10 transfer
oysters from salt TO brackish water for
short time before shipping them 10 mar
ket. The oysters rapidly absorb the
fresher water, and the more saline fluids
IN their tissues slowly pass out. That
process, known as "plumping, "iloat-
ing" or ''iattening," makes the oysters
swell to the full capacity OF the shell, but
adds nothing TO their food value or flavor.
On the contrary, il extracts, certain
nutritious ingredients and repl1ce them
with water. Chemical tests show that
that sadly misnamed process OF "fatten-
ing" although itincreases the weight OF
the oysters from ten TO twenty per cent,
deprivss them Of from ten to fifteen per
cent OF their iood value.
More serious, however, than the loss
OF nutritive properties is the danger from
contamination when the floats are situated
near sewers or other sources ofpollution.
II is well-known that oysters can take in
disease germs with their food, and such
germs, when they pass into the human
body, may cause disease. Epidemics OF
typhoid fever have been definitely traced
20 "floated" oysters that were undoubied-
ly innocuous when taken from the salt
water.
The United States government has
done much 10 promote the oyster indus
try OF our country. II has made studies
OF the oysters life history, on The accu-
curate knowledge of which protection
and cultivation must depend: il has in
vestigated conditions and methods OF
oyster growing in other countries. and il
has surveyed bottoms in the various