Evening star., 1927-09-01
OYSTERS Plentiful
| AS SEASON OPENS
Early Predictions Say Rea'
sonabIy Adequate Store
Is in Sight.

The Fall oyster season for 1927 Of
fcially opened today. Early predic-
tions are that the supply Is reason
ably plentiful" in oyster beds in both
Virginia and Maryland waters. Def
mite knowledge of the quality and
quantity will not be known. however.
It is stated. until the season is few
days old. The prices will be regulated
largely by supply and demand.
Early indications at the municipal
wharves here were that the oysters
will sell there. for several days at
least, for about $4,000 a bushel, or
from $3.50 to $2.75 a gallon shucked.
The longing season formerly opened
in Maryland today. Virginia laws,
however, do not permit longing in
public beds in Virginia waters before
September Is. With the arrival of
the latter date and the consequent in
crease in supply, due to shipments
from Virginia, the price may be low.
cred a trifie.
Increase i'm Size.
An increase in the average size of
oysters on the market is assured this
year by recent State legislation in
both Maryland and Virginia which
under the culling law provides that
no oysters of less than a 3-inch
shell are to be tonged. This is a half
inch larger than the minimum size
formerly allowed. The Maryland law
also provides that no large oysters
may be taken if they have oysters be-
low them minimum size allowed cling.
ing to them, but must be thrown over
board with the small ones
Quite difference Is noted in the
laws of Maryland and Virginia re.
garding the open season for longing
and dredging oysters. Whereas the
Virginia laws do not permit longing
in the public oyster beds before Sep
: tember Is. there is no law in that
State, it is stated. that in any way
governs the rights of owners Of pri-
vate oyster beds to tong and sell the
oysters at will. 1t is from such pri.
vate beds in Virginia that most of
the Districts oyster supply comes be.
fore the formal opening of the oyster
season.
Length of Season.
The Maryland laws permit longing
generally in Maryland waters after
September l, but up to that time they
also prevent the sale of oysters from
private beds, the owners of such beds,
under the law, being permitted to use
the oysters in their own households
only. They cannot place them on sale
prior to the date mentioned. The
longing season remains open in Mary.
land until April Is and in Virginia un.
til May /.
The dredging season opens in both
Maryland and Virginia November /,
and closes in Maryland March Is, and
In Virginia April 1. ''Scraping" is
permitted in Maryland, however, Is
days after the formal closing of the
dredging seas son.
There is no special Federal legisla.
ton governing the oyster industry ex-
cept provisions under the pure food
and drug laws. The work of seeing
that these are enforced comes under
the Bureau of Food. Drug and Insec-
ticiie Administration, created July /
last. through special legislation. The
bureaus work formerly was under the
Bureau OF Chemistry. 1t functions
particularly where food becomes a
part of interstate commerce.
The Bureau of Food. Drug and In
secticide Administration has the CO.
operation of the United States Public
Health Service in insuring the good
4 :. ,lity of the oyster. 1t seeks to keep
oysters free from contamination, to
discover those contaminated, and to
see that correct weights and measures |
are given on oysters for sale on the |
market. 1t also sees that prosecu |
tions are secured against the Federal
pure food and drug act violators.
Water Increases Weight.
A determination also is expressed
by the bureau authorities to see that
no oyster dealers increase the bulk of
oysters by having them drink fresh
water" Four quarts of oysters, put
in fresh water, will swell until they
equal about five quarts. State au-
thorities have expressed a determina-
tion to wipe out this practice.
The District of Columbia also has
strict regulations to insure the pure
ness of sea food products. Outstand-
ing among these is a comparatively
new regulation requiring private
oyster shuckers at the municipal
wharves to shuck under a shed and
TO sterilize with hot water the knives
used. Careful handling otherwise also
is required.
The Potomac River is under Mary
land jurisdiction and comes generally
under Maryland law. Virginia, how
ever, under a compact of 1885, has
fishing privileges. The longing season
does not open on the Potomac until
September Is. and over this there is
no controversy.
Maryland fishing laws, however, re-
Quire that licenses be taken out for