30 tti'jtort of the Hoard of Hhcll /'/*// C<nnniiNxioni'rx 



DEFINITION OF NATURAL OYSTER BAR. 



DIVERSITY OF OPINION. 



No definition of a natural oyster bar could be formulated by 

 any man of body of men which would meet with the approval of 

 all parties concerned. Oystermen, as a rule, hold that all bot- 

 toms where oysters grow or have grown naturally even though 

 now practically barren of oysters should be considered natural 

 bars. Other citizens of the State who are not directly inter- 

 ested in the oyster business, but interested in the oyster 

 industry from the standpoint of revenue, hold, as a rule, that 

 no bottoms should be excluded from leasing for oyster culture 

 which, by methods known to oyster culturalists, may be made 

 to yield a greater number of oysters than they now produce. 



It should be evident to every one that neither of these defini- 

 tions could be adopted by the Commission as a working basis 

 for determining which of the grounds surveyed are natural 

 oyster bars 



THE GOLDSBOROUGH DEFINITION. 



The definition of a natural bar which very nearly approaches 

 a reasonable and satisfactory compromise between -the extreme 

 views given above and which has therefore been adopted by the 

 Commission, is that contained in an opinion rendered by Judge 

 Chas. F. Goldsborough in the Circuit Court for Dorchester 

 county in the July term, 1881, in the case of William T. Wind- 

 sor and George R. Todd, vs. Job T. Moore. It is as follows : 



"What then is a natural bar of bed of oysters? It would be a palpa- 

 ble absurdity for the State to attempt to promote the propagation and 

 growth of oysters and to encourage its citizens, by grant of land, to 

 engage in their culture, if the lands authorized to be taken up were only 

 those upon which oysters do not and can not be made to grow. That 

 there may be lands covered by water in the State where no oysters can 

 be found, but where, if planted, they could be cultivated successfully, 

 may be possible, but, if so, I imagine that their extent must be too 



