200 THE OYSTER. 



oysters by the use of heavy dredges, although the 

 Connecticut farmers find it to their interest to use on 

 their own private beds far heavier dredges, which they 

 drag over the beds by steam. 



Many of the oyster-packers, who carry on their busi- 

 ness only in the winter, believe that all the damage is 

 due to the oystermen who fish in March, April and 

 May, and men who have money invested in the oys- 

 ter business in Maryland believe that the exportation 

 of oysters in the shell, and especially oysters for plant- 

 ing in Northern waters, is the cause of the mischief. 



All agree in throwing the blame on some one else, 

 and all believe that some form of the business in which 

 they are not interested is responsible for the present 

 state of things and should be prohibited ; but as the 

 oyster navy is a convenient scapegoat, all parties unite 

 in throwing the blame upon the officers of the Fishery 

 Force. 



While the views of the oystermen are in this state 

 of confusion, all students of the subject are agreed as 

 to the cause of the mischief. As Lieutenant Winslow 

 well said in 1883, not only must the fecundity of the 

 beds be preserved, but the market supply must also 

 be kept up to the present demand, if not actually in- 

 creased ; and is a cessation of dredging likely to ac- 

 complish the latter end, when at present the vast fleet 

 of pungies and canoes are straining every rope and 

 windlass and openly violating every law of two power- 

 ful States in order to find oysters in the required num- 

 bers? The truth is that the Chesapeake beds are no 



