THE OYSTER INDUSTRY OF NEW JERSEY. 505 



in Philadelijllia aiul other places outside the State, but in such cases 

 the captains are residents of New Jersey and are the nominal owners 

 and proprietors of the oyster-fiiounds occupied by them. In this way 

 the law is evaded. The law further provides that oysters shall not be 

 taken from the natural oyster beds of New Jersey and planted in the 

 waters of any other State. It is, however, well known that vessels 

 owned in Philadelphia procure large «|uantities of seed oysters annually 

 from the natural beds in New Jersey and plant them in the waters of 

 the State of Delaware. The penalty for violating this provision is a fine 

 not exceeding ^L'OO, or imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both; 

 but the law on this point has never been enforced against members of 

 the association, for the reason, apparently, that no one desires to 

 enforce it. 



The season for taking oysters from the planted areas and for market- 

 ing them begins Sei)teniber 1 and continues until June 15, following; 

 that for taking oysters from the natural beds for planting i)urposes 

 begins April 1 and continues until June 15. During the months of 

 June, July, and August it is unlawful to take oysters for any purpose 

 whatever from certain natural beds in Maurice Eiver Cove and in the 

 creeks along the shores of Cumberland County, known severally as the 

 East Point beds, Andrews Ditch beds, the beds at the mouth of Divid- 

 ing Creek and Oranoke Creek, and in creeks where there is a natural 

 growth of oysters which become exposed at low tide. These beds are 

 als6 exempted from dredging. 



During the latter jiart of March all necessary i^reparations for begin- 

 ning the work of catching natural oysters from the public be'ds and 

 jdanting them on the cultivated areas in Maurice River Cove are com- 

 pleted. The vessels usually leave port on the 31st of March, provid- 

 ing that day does not fall on Sunday, in order to be on the grounds 

 and ready to begin work at sunrise on the morning of the 1st of April. 

 The law prescribes that oysters shall not be taken before sunrise nor 

 after sunset, nor on Sunday. The business of dredging seed oysters 

 is ])rosecuted vigorously until the 15tli of June, when the season ends. 

 The oysters and shells are dredged up from the beds or natural reefs 

 together, and are loaded on the decks of the vessels. No "culling" 

 or sei)aiating of the loose shells from the oysters is done. The culling 

 law, which prohibited all persons from taking away any old shells 

 which could be separated from the oysters without injuring them, or 

 any other materials which might be useful to the beds for the young- 

 oysters or "spat "to adhere to, was uufortunatelj'^ repealed in 1877. 

 This law made it compulsory for the oystermen to cull out, or separate 

 from the oysters, all the old shells and throw them back upon the beds. 

 Since that law was repealed the oysters and shells have been taken 

 together and planted in the cove. 



Naturally, the i>roportion of oysters to the entiie (piantity of oysters 

 and shells in each deck load becomes smaller as the season ad\ances. 

 According to the estimates of the oystermen, the number of bushels 



