188 THE FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



Q. THE SOUTHERN ATLANTIC COAST. 



50. THE OYSTER-PRODUCTS OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



General aspect of the industry. — lu North Carolina the busiuess in oysters and oyster-cultnre is of 

 small proportions, and is contined almost wholly to the Neuse river, Beaufort, and Wilmington. The census of 

 18(J0, imperfect, of course, in both estimates, gives North Carolina only $2,100 worth of oysters, compared with 

 $53,145 credited to Virginia, and $15,305 taken in Maryland. The inside of the outer "banks", or the long line 

 of beaches that protect the inner submerged area of nearly fresh water from the demolishing force of the ocean, is 

 lined with oyster-growth to a greater or less degree along its whole extent, l)ut these oysters are not always either 

 edible or available for commerce. Currituck sound was closed from the ingress of salt water forty years ago, and 

 of course all marine life has died out there. Albemarle sound is said to be the largest body of fresh water in the 

 country, except the Gi'eat Lakes, and sometimes sweetens the water clear down to Roanoke island. Pamlico sound, 

 on the contrary, has inlets from the Atlantic which make all its water, at least along its eastern half, thoroughly 

 saline, and permits a lusuriiint oyster- growth. This is availed of by the simple iishermen of these desolate beaches 

 and islands in a way that shows how a primitive custom may survive for many years after the commonwealth in which 

 it grew up has passed on to something more complicated and better fulfilling the same purpose. Of these fishermen 

 there are about 300 between the middle of Core sound and Roanoke island, as I am informed by Mr. R. E. Earll, of the 

 United States Fish Commission. Mi". Earll tells me that every winter, at intervals in their fishing, or in connection 

 with it, all of these fishermen are wont to take partial loads of oysters, gathered on the outer banks, to the shore 

 and river towns, perhaps 20 or 30 or more miles away, and there dispose of them, not for cash, but by a system of 

 barter. The exchange is ordinarily made for corn, and the rate last winter was one bushel of oysters in the shell for 

 one bushel of Indian corn in the ear. Taking this, together with what the faiuilies of the fishermen eat, and these 

 people live on oysters the year round, and with small interruption, JMr. Earll considers that forty and perhaps 

 fifty thousand bushels a year, worth, perhaps, $10,000, reckoned in money, would not be too large an estimate to 

 put upon this consumption. One obtains from such a picture as this an appreciation of the importance of oysters, 

 and the oyster-trade, to the people who live in the neighborhood of the beds, and of which little or no statistical 

 account can usually be given. 



The vicinity of Beaufort. — The first point of inquiry, which develops any systematic or commercial use of 

 oysters, is in the vicinity of Beaufort and Morehead City, which lie at the lower end of Core sound, and on opposite 

 sides of Newport river, whose mouth and inlet from the ocean form Beaufort harbor, and separate Core sound on the 

 north from Bogue sound on the south. The oysters brought to Beaufort come chiefly from the two sounds mentioned. 

 They ai'e almost always of natural growth, but the transplanting of seed has been done at a good many different 

 points, and there will, no doubt, be considerable cultivation in a few years. An attempt was made in 1880 by a 

 Baltimore firm to establish an opening-house at Beaufort, but inclination or circumstances caused its removal 

 to Newberne. There is little regular business at Beaufort, therefore. 



I am in receipt of a letter from Dr. H. C. Yarrow, United States army, containing some notes on the oyster- 

 interests in this locality in 1864 Dr. Yarrow writes : 



At tlie time I was in Beaufort the oyster was not cultivated, and all I can toll you is, that the best ones were found about 25 or 30 

 miles west of Fort Macon, in Bogue sound. These oysters, which were famous, brought 40 cents a bushel ; ordinary ones only 25. Good 

 oysters were also got up the North river and iu a river, running a little north of Ilarkuess island, which is near Cape Lookout. 



Newberne. — More facts are to be ascertained at Newberne, where more busiuess is now done. Newberne gets its 

 oysters from various points in Pamlico sound. The marshes of the lower part of the Neuse are full of them, but little 

 or no use is made of this seed. Bay river, on the shore of the mainland, gives a good thin-shelled and white oyster, 

 with a deep " cup" and fine flavor, but the freshets in the Neuse are likely to ruin these beds. Smith's creek is also a 

 very good h)cality, and oysters of very fine flavor are cauglit opposite Fort Smith, but contain a great many crabs. 

 Good single oysters, capable of being made very fine by planting, are reported to abound in the vicinity of the 

 Royal Shoal rocks. Other good localities are Point of Marsh and Broad creek. The objection to all Core sound 

 oysters is, that though of fine shape and good flavor, they do not seem to thrive under transplanting. However, this 

 may be a libel upon them, since none but the crudest experiments have been made in cultivation. Thei'e is no reason 

 to doubt that it would succeed gi-andly, and with comparatively small trouble, for I have rarely seen shells come 

 up so completely overgrown with infant oysters, as are those which are brought to Newberne. There is little liope 

 that the fishermen themselves, who now live along the shore and work upon the beds, will ever become cultivators 

 to any extent. Whether outside capital will ever find it profitable to undertake oyster planting iu these apparently 

 highly favorable waters, depends upon adozen outside considerations of market, means of transportation, possibilities 

 of procuring labor, etc., which it would be futile to discuss, because they are constantly changing. It appears tlicn 

 that all the oysters — with occasional exceptions — sent to market from this district, are taken from the natural beds 

 without any intermediate process of transplanting, or fresh- water fattening. 



