The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-03-10

the close OF the fishing season. as II
is at present required by the United
States government regu atoms, so as
not TO interfere with the dredging
of the ground by the orstermen and
also subject to the right OF all per
sons having a license. to catch crabs
from the waters over said grounds
with trot-lines and dip-nets.
90. All applications now pending
IL granted. will he leased at the rate
nf twenty-five cc1f+ rer are per year.
go All applicants must have the
land they desire surveyed and plated
and file with their application copy
OF the plat so the commission may
know exactly what land Is desired.
All VIII Re Protected.
1t will he readily seen from the
above rules that the fishermen have
absolutely no grounds for complaint.
They Will be permitted TO fish their
pounds Just as If the land had never
been assigned. The commission takes
the view that few pounds on the
! ground do not injure the oyster
planting and the planting OF tho
ground IN oysters does not interfere
with the fishermen Indeed It is be-
lieved it will be a benefit to the fish
crmen to have the ground planted in
oysters as the oyster beds furnish
feeding ground for the fish. II both
<he fisherman and the FISHERMAN pos
sess any OF. that spirit of live and
+ let live they will both he satisfied
with these rules
| Tahhers who catch crabs with trot-
| lines ard dip-nets are absolutely pro-
'ected by the above rules. Just as are
the fishermen. There is no reason
why the same land should not he
30, n
Crabhers Will be benefited nv the
0ys'or planting as the crabs will con-
eregate on these beds to get food.
specially on newly planted beds. The
only worker who will be restricted
hr the leasing Of this land will be
hose engaged in dredging crabs in
he winter season when the crabs are
I alternating OF course, we could not
permit oyster ground 10 be dredged
= for crabs No person would lease
/ ground for oyster planting. II such a
thing were permitted or course the
! "rah-dredcer Will still he a. liberty
/ 20 continue to dredFe on unassigned
! land in the bay until the legislature
! prohibits this method OF taking crab.
! Doubtless. they VIII he prohibited at
! The next session OF the legislature. IT
ought TO have been stopped years
ago.
our reason for these statements
will be fully given In another paper.
J If this method of taking crabs Is
stopped we believe II will be but a
short time before our rivers and bays
are again plentifully supplied with
crabs. We. therefore, believe that
in assigning this ground we are con-
serving and protecting the grabbing
industry.
Benefits to he Derived.
The benefits to accrue from the de-
velopment of this deep water plantin :
industry are many and of great mag
nitude. both to tho workers OF Tide
water and 10 the state at large The
i development OF This industry will
! bring millions of dollars into the state
annually in return for the oyster
crops which will be produced on this
I land that Is now barren. Much OF
! this money will go to the laboring
! man who catches seed oysters from
( our natural rocks, to the boatmen
! who transport the seed to the deep
! water beds, TO the men who dredge
Re mature oysters from the beds and
transport them to the shocking houses
ana TO market and to the employees In
the ShuCking houses.
To Illustrate the amount Of money
from the development of this indus
/ Try, we will cite what has been spent
/ IN the experiment conducted by Mr..
Darling and his associates In de-
ve'op'ng very small area they spent
$4,000. all of which was paid to the
'ahorers who caught the seed oysters
and transported them to the grounds
Nearly twice as much will have TO be
paid the lahorers who harvest these
! oysters and transport them TO the
/ shocking houses and shuck them
When we recall that Virginia has hun
: Sreds of thousands of acres Of this
! land il is evident that the wealth
which Will come TO the laboring mer
! of the state from the development OF
this industry IL enormous Virginia
/ has the greatest seed oyster beds In
the world. The supply has so far ex.
ceeda.' the demand that 1t was neces.
; sary for the last session of the leg'sla
/ ture to enact a law permitting these
seed to be taken to other states to he
there developed This deep water
planting will furnish a home h..ke
for these seed and Virginia laborer'
viii get the benefit of developing
these oysters as we'll as the benefit Il
eccrue from an increased market fol-
them.
The state will not only be greatl,
benefited by the increased wealth o
her citizens resulting from the may
millions of dollars which will -eems
from outside the state every year II
exchange for these oysters: but tn,
land rented will in few years yielt
a direct annual revenue to the stat,
If at least half million dollars 4
proper rentals are charged as the in
austry Is developed. We believe the
Virginia waters OF the Chesapeake ba,
re cana Of bet0g developed to such
an extent as to easily produce 100.
coo 600 bushels of the most deliciou,
oysters annually.