180 Report of the Board of Shell Fish Commissioners 



table herein reprinted from the annual reports of the Commis- 

 sioners of Shell Fisheries of the State. This table shows the 

 gross receipts to the State for rent of oyster ground each year 

 since the establishment of the office of the Commissioners of 

 Shell Fisheries. It is seen from this table that the industry 

 in oyster culture in Rhode Island did not become self-sustaining 

 for several years, the expense of maintaining the Commission 

 averaging about $4,000 per annum, but- that its importance as 

 a revenue producer steadily increased from the date of its 

 establishment to the present time, 43 years after. The possi- 

 bilities for oyster culture in a single one of the tidewater 

 counties of Mjaryland are as great as those in the entire State 

 of Khode Island, but these possibilities are latent and will re- 

 quire time and labor for their development. 



RECEIPTS FOR RENT OF OYSTER GROUNDS. 



The following table shows the gross receipts to the State 

 (Rhode Island), each year for rent of oyster grounds since and 

 during 1864 at which time this office (Commissioners of Shell 

 Fisheries), was established: 



1864 $61.00 



1865 737.72 



1866 661.27 



1867 1,568.50 



1868 1,814.40 



1869 1,949.15 



1870 1,527.65 



1871 .'. 2,186.63 



1872 2,772.95 



1873 4,483.88 



1874 4,997.00 



1875 5,276.00 



1876 5,300.00 



1877 6,045.25 



1878 6,582.90 



1879 7,860.00 



1880 8,190.00 



1881 9,333.00 



1882 9,850.00 



1883 10,312.00 



1884 10,757.00 



1885 11,920.00 



1886 '. 10,433.00 



1887 8,648.00 



1888 ' 7,614.00 



1889 9,997.00 



1890 5,616.20 



1891 12,595.70 



1892 6,731.55 



1893 6,491.25 



1894 6,675.55 



1895 6,509.00 



1896 6,569.57 



1897 ;... 7,016.74 



1898 ; 7,690.00 



1899- 13,558.46 



1900 20,973.08 



1901 25,767.38 



1902 36,843.96 



1903 ! 42,160.02 



1904 44,499.25 



1905 47,082.26 



1906 (estimated)... 59,305.56 



