166 



THE FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



would be much more largely developed if noitliern cities were unable to br.y oysters in the shell, and as the 

 shucking of oysters gives employment to such a number of people, they hold that it would be a wise policy to 

 heavily tax all oysters shipped in the shell. It is very questionable, however, whether such a measure would be 

 constitutional. 



"Two great objections which might also be urged against the system, are that the majority of oysters shipped 

 north are piuchased late in the spring, when the packing trade is about over, at prices necessarily low, and that 

 the beds are seriously injured by being disturbed after the commencement of the spawning season. The oysters 

 purchased and taken north in tbe spring for bedding would, if allowed to remain until the fall and then sold for 

 immediate use, bring nearly half a million dollars more than they now sell for; that is, there would be a yearly gain 

 to the oystermen of Maryland and Virginia of nearly half a million dollars. 



"There being in the spring no home demand for them, they sell sometimes as low as 4 cents a bushel, and from 

 that up to 12 and 15. In the spring of 1879 a vessel loaded in the Great Choptank river with 16,000 bushels, cost 

 $540, or just 4 cents a bushel. These oysters are taken north and planted, where they grow very rapidly, and 

 during the following fall and winter they come in competition with oysters from Maryland and Virginia packers. 



Statistics of shipments for nokthern planting in 1879. — "During the spring of 1879, Capt. Samuel 

 M. Travers, of the oyster-police force, directed his deputy commanders to board all vessels loading with plants for 

 northern waters, and obtain the number of bushels taken. He has favored me with the result, which is as follows: 



Shipped north for planting in spring of 1879. 



Bushels. 



From Tangier sound and tributaries 358,750 



Nauticoke river and Fishing bay - 125,000 



Little Choptank river 1^5,000 



Great Choptank river 375,000 



Eastern bay 6-2,500 



Chester river 250,000 



Anne Arundel county waters 112,500 



Patuxent river and tributaries 1.''.0, 000 



Potomac river and tributaries 625,000 



Total 2,178,750 



"The average price paid was 7 cents a bushel. Owing to the action of the state legislature, at its last session, 

 in forbidding the catching of oysters after April 15, the shipments from Maryland waters in the spring of 1880 

 were much smaller than for the previous year." 



Estimates op shipments in 1879-'80. — The estimates made of shipments from Maryland waters to northern 

 ports from May 31, 1879, to May 31, 1880, are compiled by Edmonds, as follows. I think they are hardly to be closely 

 relied on, or of much value, but I annex the table : 



Shipped to — 



Portlantl, Maine 



Fair UaveD, Connecticut 



Providence and Providence river 



Boston 



Di-laware bay 



riiiladelpbia 



Scaford, Delaware (for packing and for local use) . 

 New York 



Per rail and steamers . 

 TiAal 



h 



Bushels. 



9,000 

 66, OOO 

 110,000 



488, 880 



.a 3 



u 



Bushels. 

 75, 000 

 50, 000 

 30, 000 

 80, 000 



1C2, 960 

 200, 000 



Bushels. 



84, 000 

 110,000 

 140, 000 



80, 000 

 488, 880 

 102, 900 

 200, 000 

 050, 000 



1, 921, 840 

 100, 000 



2, 021, 840 



1 have thrown distrust on this table, because I hardly think it possible to tell, with any accuracy, what went north 

 from Maryland waters and what from Virginia. 



Shipments northward in 1805.— In 1805 Mr. C. S. Maltby counted the shipments northward as follows : 



Fair Haven, Connecticut -- 



New York - •• 



Philadelphia 



Boston, Massachusetts 350,000 



700,000 



1, 050, 000 



400, 000 



Total. 



.2,500,000 



