108 THE FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



of water auil the village is deriTcd from its being the southern part of the town of Oyster Bay, which owes its 

 name to the ancient i>ro(lnctiveness of its harbor, on the north shore, in our favorite moUusks. There are 22 

 planters here, IS of whom are joined in an association for mutnal protection. They rent ground under the laws of 

 South Oyster bay, although many of the members are residents of Hempstead. They can each have as many 

 acres as are wanted, for simply the trouble of staking out and recording. They have piu'sued a somewhat difi'erent 

 course from theii" neighbors, buying this year (the spring of 1880) two-year-old seed at New Haven, which cost 

 them GO cents, i>ut down. This they i^ropose to take up and sell the succeeding fall, and expect by that time it will 

 have doubled its size, so favorable are these grounds regarded for oyster-growth. These planter's intend in future, 

 nevertheless, to buy small seed, that is, when they can procure it at less cost and trouble than was possible last 

 spring. I should think this locality ought to become a profitable oyster-depot. 



Five miles westward of South Oyster bay lies the considerable hamlet of Freeport, where oyster-planting has 

 long been followed in the .shallow bay of the same name opposite the town, about 40 acres of bottom being in 

 use. Aboxit 35 planters are engaged here, all of whom live at Freeport, and make a pretty prosperous village of 

 it. Besides these 35 owners, probably 25 families get their li%'iug out of the trade, so that the industry is very 

 considerable here. The method of cultivation is similar to that employed eastward, except that considerable seed 

 is got at Staten Island and in the East river, but no southern oysters are planted. The crop last season amounted 

 to about 30,000 bushels. It was of high quality, and brought an average piice of about $1 35 in New York. 

 Nevertheless the Freeport men complain of a poor business and dim prospects. 



At Baldwin's, two miles west of Freeport, there are 18 planters, occupying an acre each of the bottom of 

 Hempstead bay, an inlet separated from South Oyster bay by islands, and alx)ut as many more who find steady 

 employment. These planters get seed mainly from the westward, and in 1879-'80 sold about 11,000 bushels at 81 50. 

 They report theii- beds in "very fine condition" and their "prospects very bright". 



At Christian Hook is a small lousiness, also in the waters of Hempstead bay, in respect to which I was prevented 

 by accident from getting and saving many particulars. I judge, however, that the business there is nuich the 

 same as at Baldwiii's, and, therefore, credit its productiveness at about the same rate — 11,000 bushels annually. 



37. THE EOCKAWAY DISTRICT. 



Topography. — At the western end of the south shore of Long Island is a series of interlacing channels, 

 through a great marshy lagoon, protected outwardly by Longbeach from the rage of the Atlantic, and separated 

 from Hempstead bay, east of them, by large islands. This confusrag network of shallow, tidal creeks, ramifying 

 in all directions through an immense expanse of sedge, lies on the eastern side of the township of Eockaway. 

 West of the town spread tlie more open waters of Jamaica bay. In both these waters oysters are grown in great 

 quantities ; and as every village, beach, inlet, and channel in the whole region has the name Eockaway attached 

 to it in some shape, it is not surprising that these oysters should take the universal name, too, in the New York 

 markets, whither they all tend. The annexed map wiU show what an amphibious kind of region this is, and its 

 relation to other localities. 



History of planting: Laws. — All of the planters live at the tillage of East Eockaway, and \vithin a mile 

 of it on the western side, and are a different class of men, socially inferior to the oystermen of the Great South 

 bay. Though a large number are engaged, no one among them is an extensive dealer, three or four thousand 

 bushels being the largest amount raised by any one man, while the majority of the planters produce less than 500 

 bushels a year. 



The first planting was done here about thirty- five years ago, by Captain Samuel Pearsall and Mr. James 

 Murray, as tradition relates. There were never any natural beds here, and they procured their seed at Patchogue, 

 or wherever they could get it most easUy. Nor were they particular as to ground occupied. Later, however, when 

 the business became one of importance, special laws were enacted by the state of New York, at the instance of the 

 towns of Hempstead and Jamaica, to apply to these waters. These legal regulations, which illustrate the selfishness 

 of all oyster-laws, govern not only the Eockaway oystermen, but also those all along the shore from South Oyster 

 bay to Fort Hamilton. They are as follows : 



Section. 78. Exempts Jamaica aud Hempstead bays from the "public waters" of Queen's county. 



Secs. 79 to 87 .ire iirelevaut. 



Sec. 88. Persons for one year inhabitants of Jamaica and Hempstead, Queen's rouuty, may plant oysters in the waters of those 

 towns, as heretofore provided ; but no person not a resident shall be allowed such privilege. 



Sec. 89. Inhabitants of Jamaica aud Hempstead can use three acres, but must marlc, define, and make use of, as stated in section 79. 



Sec. 90. "Before any person shall occupy any lands under the public waters aforesaid, for the purpose of planting oysters, * *. » 

 he shall prove to the satisfaction of the board of auditors of town accounts * * * that the land selected is not a planted bed of 

 oysters, or, if planted, is not planted by auy person other than the applicant, and shall also prove, by at least five reputable residents and 

 freeholders of said towns [Jamaica or Hempstead], that he is, and has been for one year preceding, an inhabitant of the town. All 

 the aforesaid proof shall be taken in writing, and signed and sworn to. Such board of auditors, or a majority of them, shall thereupon 

 give to such person a certificate under their bands, " embodying the facts stated above, which shall be filed with the town clerk. 



