OYSTER CULTURE IN AMERICA. 841 



more than 10 acres, or any natural bed inclosed, to have 

 forfeited all rights in the premises, and the same penalty 

 is provided should the owner fail for two years to use his 

 bed or garden or keep up his stakes. 



Section 3393 provides for the punishment of depre- 

 dators upon the private beds or gardens. These pro- 

 visions were defective and inadequate in the following 

 particulars : 



1. The grants were confined to inhabitants of the 

 State, the impression being that the area of suitable and 

 desirable ground was limited, while, on the contrary, it is 

 practically unlimited, our investigation having shown some 

 600,000 acres as available. 



2. The tracts which could be taken up were confined 

 to 10 acres. This was due to the same impression as to 

 .the limited area of suitable ground. It was unwise, as 

 success in raising and cultivating oysters is as dependent 

 upon the fundamental laws of political economy as any 

 other business, and no business has been known to succeed 

 when there was no hope of expansion, stimulus to exertion, 

 or gratification to ambition. Neither has any enterprise a 

 chance of success, or of becoming of great importance, 

 when it neither claims nor receives the unremitting and 

 undivided attention of those engaged in it. Exclusive 

 attention cannot be given to so small an area as 10 acres. 

 The results would not justify it. In fact, if the owner 

 relied upon such a lot alone for his livelihood, he would 

 probably starve; and, indeed, no one did do so; the business 

 (if it can be called one) of raising oysters being merely 

 adjunctory to other pursuits, and men keeping oyster 

 "gardens" as they did kitchen gardens, and oysters as 

 they did a few pigs, almost entirely to supply their own 

 tables. Evidently the oyster interest had no more to 



