3 o THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



the latter has decreased is, however, improbable, the estimates of Gov- 

 ernor Wise and of the officers of the "Merchants' and Mechanics' 

 Exchange," of Norfolk, to the contrary, notwithstanding. Why the 

 reduction of the area of the beds is considered improbable will be 

 shown subsequently. The writer states various reasons for his belief 

 in the early failure of the oyster-supply, none of which are sufficiently 

 plausible to justify his assertion, unless supported by other facts of 

 which he has made no mention. For instance, though the increased 

 price of oysters may be, as he states, an indication of a diminished 

 supply, yet an increase of the demand would have the same effect. 

 Similarly with regard to the laws relating to the use of dredges and 

 scrapes : the beds might be in their normal state, yet the increased de- 

 mand or knowledge of the inhabitants of the fore-shores might call for 

 protection of the beds. The action of natural enemies and of natural 

 causes, also mentioned in the article in question, may be neglected. 

 Such causes existed in the past as well as in the present, and yet the 

 beds increased and multiplied as they have done nowhere else in the 

 world. 



"But the primary cause of the threatened destruction of this 

 industry," says the author of Lippincott's article, "is the failure to 

 cultivate the oyster." It would have been better had he said "the 

 failure to protect the oyster-beds." Oyster-culture is one thing, no 

 doubt an admirable one, but an expensive, laborious undertaking 

 of doubtful financial success. Oyster protection is a matter easily 

 achieved, with but small expenditure of money, and with but little dis- 

 tress to those depending upon the fishery for support. 



It is presumable that our author was not aware of the contributions 

 to the literature relating to oysters and oyster-becls, contained in the 

 " Report of the Commissioners of Fisheries of Maryland," for 1880. 

 Had he examined that report, he would have found matter which would 

 more directly have supported his opinion regarding the deterioration 

 of the Southern oyster-beds, and have suggested to him means of re- 

 stocking the impoverished areas, other than by the expensive and labo- 

 rious methods detailed in his paper. The tentative steps taken toward 

 the latter end, by successfully propagating the oyster artificially, are 

 detailed by Dr. Brooks, of the Johns Hopkins University, in the above- 

 mentioned report, and the general condition of certain areas covered 

 by oysters are described in extracts from official reports made by my- 

 self to the Superintendent of the Coast and Geodetic Survey. It is 

 from those reports, the paper of Dr. Brooks, and the various works 

 relating to oysters and oyster-culture here and abroad, that the mate- 

 rial for this report is drawn. 



While few will dispute the assertion that the Northern oyster-becls 

 are practically exhausted and have become mere fattening-places for 

 the transplanted Southern oyster, many will dispute the assertion that 

 the bt'ds of Maryland and Virginia are in a nearly similar condition, or 



