The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-05-25
OYSTER INDUSTRY IS
CtNTEREO IN NORFOLK
Some 10000 Gain Likelihood From
the Waters of Eastern
Virginia
PAYS BIG REVENUE TO STATE
Virginia Has 100000 Acres of Natural
Oyster Rock, and Some 100000
Acres of Planting Ground.--Haye
High Food Value.
PAYS BIG REVENUE TO STATE

Norfolk, Va, May -4.-One of the
greatest industries of the State of Vir-
GINA finds Norfolk as it's center. This
is the oyster industry. which annually
turns into the State treasury nearly
one hundred thousand dollars, and
which provides pure wholesome food
for hundreds of thousands of Viz
ginians and hundreds of thousands
throughout the Eastern States, and
provides, directly, livelihood for
10000 persons.
There are In Virginia 230.0 600 acres
of natural oyster beds. under the d.
rection of the State Fisheries Commits
sion which policies the oyster water
and regulates the bounds within /,
which oysters may he taken, and tha
seasons OF the year in which oysters
may be tonged For the protection
OF the Industry the commission, au@~
thorized by the Legislature. prevents
the taking of oysters which have not
grown or developed to certain size.
The taking and selling of seed oysters
is also regulated that the States oys-
ter rocks may not be depleted.
Designated under what is known as
the Baylor survey there are some
400, o00 acres of oyster planting beds,
on which there are nov an ample
quantity of oysters to supply the
rrr---ss of the people in times when bad
weather or other causes prevent the
tongers from taking them off the
natural rock,
Most Valuable Foodstuffs
There are no purer or better oys-
ters anywhere in the United States
than in Virginia waters. These waters
are far distant from sources of pollu-
ton OF any kind and restrictions are
placed by the State on drainage in
such a way as to preserve their pur-
fty. state and Federal oyster inspec-
tors are constantly AT work watching
the quality of the oysters and pre-
venting any but the best and most
wholesome from getting into the mar
kets, Shipments are made under
supervision that guarantees absolute
purity and freedom from pollution
when they are delivered to the con-
sumer.
The food value of the oyster il
high. A federal government report
states that a quart of Oysters contain
about the same nutritive element as a
quart of milk, three quarters II a
pound of beef or two pounds of fresh
cod fish. Oysters are cheaper than
any other foodstuffs. cheaper than
chicken or the better cuts OF beet.
veal or lamb. They are all solid meat,
there being no gristle, bone or waste.
In flavor the Virginia product sur
passes that of other States There are
no better nor llore deliciously favored
oysters than the celebrated Lynn
Haven. Cheriton or Horn Harbor
varieties
Large Revenue Producer
The revenues produced for tho
State by the oyster industry are more
than $50, annually from acreage
of planning grounds leased to 'planters;
nearly $4,000 in license fees from
the more than 5000 tongmen who
work the natural beds. about 81. 900
from toncers using patent tongs for
which they pay additional liccnsa:
nearly $4,000 from about 100 oyster
dredgers.
Other water products of the. State,
fish, crabs and CLAIMS, produce addt-
tional revenue, Some 1000 fish nets
return 70 the State treasury in the
neishhorhood OF $4,000 Nearly
$4,000 is paid by the crabbers. There
are numerous otl err sources of revenue
derived from the waters of the State.
among them the taxes and licenses
paid by the more than one hundred
oyster shuckling houses and the houses
handling and shipping fish, oyster,
crabs and CLAIMS.
The fisheries industries in the State,
most of which center around Nor
folk give employment in one form or
another to some 10000 persons Many
OF these live on small farms adjacent
to the waters in which they work but
1t Is the oyster industry which pro-
vides for thel.- the money on which
they live, pay taxes. educate their chill
dren and maintain their schools and
churches and roads
With the safeguards thrown around
the industry by the State. and the res
,lization by those who earn their Iive-
hhood from the waters that these re-
sources must be conserved there il
no possibility that the returns from
the industry based on the waters OF
Virginia will be decreased