142 



THE OYSTER. 



State the right to plant oysters upon their own front- 

 age, without any restrictions, unless this contains nat- 

 ural beds, and these should be surveyed and definitely 

 described and set apart by the State. The holders of 

 land for planting under the five-acre law should also be 

 given a more secure and permanent tenure. At pres- 

 ent they pay nothing for the right, and as the Legisla- 

 ture may at any time repeal the law, they have no 

 secure possession. 



There would be a much greater incentive to the in- 

 vestment of labor and capital in oyster-planting if the 

 planting grounds were made as much like real estate 

 as possible. The present law permits the sale of plant- 

 ing grounds, but no person can hold more than five 

 acres. This limitation has no advantages, and the 

 owner of ground under this law should be allowed to 

 sell as freely as he can sell land above water, and a 

 person who already holds five acres should be per- 

 mitted to buy or inherit any other grounds which have 

 been lawfully leased from the State. 



In some States where grounds are held for private 

 planting, they are taxed, like real estate, and the pro- 

 priety of this measure is unquestionable, for the holder 

 of a valuable franchise should surely pay for the enjoy- 

 ment of his advantage. In Maryland, however, this is 

 a minor consideration, and the fostering of a prosper- 

 ous planting industry is vastly more important to all 

 our citizens than an immediate revenue to the public 

 treasury. 



