OYSTER CULTURE IN AMERICA. 745 



vessel all the men he has, and the schooner then sails back 

 and forth around and over the designated ground. The 

 effort in loading is to have as much as possible of the 

 cargo on deck. It is an easy matter then, as the vessel 

 proceeds, to shovel overboard ; and as she is constantly 

 changing her position, and the men shovel uninterruptedly 

 until the whole load is overboard, the oysters are pretty 

 evenly distributed. An ordinary crew of five will thus 

 unload 400 bushels in an hour, for five or six hours in 

 succession. Adding this expense to his first cost and 

 charges, a planter who puts down large quantities expects 

 the costs of his various lots of oysters, big and little 

 together, will average about 25 cents a bushel." 



In discussing this subject, we must bear in 

 mind the fact that northern fishermen or boats are not 

 allowed to catch oysters in our waters, and that the industry 

 contributes to our State Treasury, and gives employment 

 to our people, for all the oysters which are exported for 

 planting must be purchased from our licensed fishermen. 



. . . . So far as the exported oysters are mature 

 and marketable for food, it is obviously to our interest to 

 encourage the business, which is perfectly legitimate. The 

 only ground upon which the practice can be objected to is 

 that it leads to the sale by our people of oysters which 

 would be much more valuable to them if they could be kept 

 in our own waters until they reached maturity. 



. The development of the Maryland planting 

 industry is ... the true remedy for the evil. But as 

 this cannot be effected immediately, and as our beds are 

 not now in a condition to furnish seed for other States, 

 . . we recommend that for two years our beds shall be 

 closed on April ist. 



