THE OYSTER-INDUSTRY. 43 



cargo of 3,500 bushels for bedding, and another cargo for ■winter use ; the schooner Hastings, of nearly 100 tons 

 burthen, is the vessel used at present. These oysters cost 65 cents when laid down, but gi'ow very little on these 

 beds, since there is no fresh water to start them. In addition to this, one firm furnishes ojsters from Providence 

 river, Wareham, and elsewhere. The rest of the town, as calculated by them, use about liOO bushels and 100 gallons 

 a week for 5 months. This makes New Bedford's estimated consumption, annually, about 13,000 bushels. 



Five men are employed six months, as oiieners, at 17 cents a gallon. 



Just west of ]S^ew Bedford is a little stream and inlet, known as Westport river. This was the locality of an 

 ancient bed of native oysters, which has now nearly disappeared through too great raking. They are said to be 

 very large and of good quality, but not more than 50 bushels a year can now be caught throughout the whole three 

 miles irom the "Point" up to the bridge, which sell at $1 50 to $2 a bushel in jS^ew Bedford. There is reputed to 

 be good planting ground near the bridge. 



A few miles west of Westport is the Dartmouth river, where, it is said, an oyster-bed has recently formed, but, 

 as yet^is of little account. The bottom there, however, is regarded as very suitable for planting upon. Fifty 

 bushels a year would cover the whole s-npply fi'om here. 



Planting in Cotuit and Waquoit. — At Cotuit and Waquoit are considerable planting interests, under 

 similar regulations to those existing on the eastern shore of Buzzard's bay. From West Barnstable station, enough 

 oysters were sent to Boston by rail, combined with what went elsewhere by water, to make the production of Cotuit 

 amount to about 5,000 bushels annually; these oysters have a high reputation in Boston. Waquoit will produce half 

 as much more, chietiy from Wareham seed. Both localities will give a census of 40 planters, and an investment of 

 $40,000. There is a considerable fleet of sail-boats here. 



FoEiiER OCCURRENCE OF OYSTERS IN Martha's Yineyabd. — In rcspcct to Martha's Vineyard, only a 

 paragraph remains to be said, quoted from a description of the island in the Massachusetts Historical Collections, 

 second series, 1807, page 58 : 



The oyster is found in Newtown pond, and in two otlier ponds on tlie south shore, one of which is in Edgartown, and the other in 

 Tisbury. It is fresh to the taste ; but it is improved in its relish and rendered fatter, by digging a canal through the beach, and letting the 

 salt water iiow into the fresh-water ponds. As the southerly wind soon fills up the canal, the digging must be renewed four or five times 

 in a year. 



Statistical recapitulation. Buzzard's bay and Vineyard sound: 



Number of planters and shippers 150 



Extent of ground cultiv.ated acres.. 500 



Number of families supported 400 



Number of vessels and sail-boats engaged 100 



Value of same |;20, 000 



Annual sales of — 



I. Native oysters bushels.. 19,000 



Value of same |;25, 000 



II. Chesapeake "plants" bushels.. 7,000 



Value of same |;t), 000 



Total value of oysters sold annually $31,000 



16. THE OYSTEE-LAWS OF ilASSACHUSETTS. 



Condensed view of laws as ajviended jn 1878. — The oyster-laws of Massachusetts, chapter 83, as amended 

 in 1878, are condensed as follows: 



Section 11. Whoever tates oysters from their beds, destroys them, or willfully obstructs their growth, etc., forfeits $2 for every 

 bushel, including shells. [This last phrase was made necessary by the fact that, in colonial times, when the oyster first became the subject 

 of legal restriction, the penalty was evaded by the culprit's claiming that the shells were not to be measured against him — only the oyster 

 meats. — E. I.] 



Sec. 12. The mayor and aldermen, or the selectmen, of any city and town may give permits to any person to take a stated quantity 

 of oysters; and every inhabitant may, without permit, take oysters, for family use, from September 1 to June. 



.Sec. 13. Makes the same regulation in respect to other shellfish. 



Sec. 14. Any boat, not owned in the place, and found with oysters on board, not taken under a permit or license, may be seized and 

 detained by any inhabitant for not more than 4d houis, pending process of law. 



Sec. 15. Native Indians are allowed to dig for all kinds of shellfish for home use ; and fishermen may take bait, not exceeding 

 seven bushels at once. 



Sec 1(5. The mayor and aldermen or selectmen of any city or town may * " * grant a license, for a term not exceeding twenty years, 

 to any inhabitant thereof, to iilant, grow, and dig oysters, .at .all times of the year, upon and in any flats and creeks therein, at any place 

 where there is no natural oyster-bed ; not, however, impairing the private rights of any person, nor materially obstructing the navigable 

 waters of any creek or bay. But no person shall take any oysters from any flats or creeks for which a license has been granted, * * * 

 between sunset and sunrise, on penalty of forfeiture of license and the oysters on his beds. 



Sec. 17. Such license shall describe the metes and bounds, shall be recorded, and shall cost the applicant $2 50. 



Skc. 18. The person so licensed, his heirs and assigns, shall, for the purposes aforesaid, have exclusive use of the flats and creeks 

 described in the license during the time therein specified ; and any person who, without consent of the owner, removes oysters from 

 licensed ground incurs a fine of §100, or less, or imprisonment from thirty days to six months, or both. 



