CHAPTER V. 



THE CAUSE OF THE DECLINE OF OUR OYSTER INDUSTRY, 

 AND THE PROTECTION OF OUR NATURAL BEDS. 



Every one now acknowledges that the condition of 

 the oyster industry gives good reason for great 

 anxiety. In times of hardship it is natural to look for 

 some one to bear the blame, and for a long time our 

 daily papers have been filled with letters from packers, 

 dealers, brokers, dredgers, tongmen and planters, all 

 throwing the responsibility on some one else. The 

 important question is, what can be done to improve 

 matters? Everyone knows that there has been ignor- 

 ance and error and mismanagement in many quarters, 

 but no good can be done by blaming others. 



It is necessary, however, to study the causes of the 

 present state of things, not as an excuse, but as a basis 

 for the intelligent discussion of remedies; for a little 

 knowledge of the subject will show that no relief can 

 be expected from most of the protection measures 

 which are advocated in the newspaper correspondence. 



If wise measures had been adopted years ago we 

 might have passed gradually to a better state of things 

 without exposing to hardship any one who is engaged 

 in any branch of the industry, but our people have 

 always been so firmly convinced that our supply was 

 inexhaustible, that all warnings have been disregarded, 



