THE OYSTER. 1 65 



advocate the prohibition or restriction of dredging. 

 Ignorant of the fact that in localities where no dredg- 

 ing has been allowed, the natural beds have been ex- 

 hausted by tongmen just as soon as a demand for the 

 oysters sprung up, they believe that the prohibition of 

 dredging is all that is needed to restore the beds. The 

 dredgers, on the other hand, attribute the injury to 

 the law which allows the tongmen to take oysters for 

 private use in the summer, forgetting that the beds of 

 Connecticut are rapidly increasing in value under a 

 law which allows not only tonging, but dredging as 

 well all through the year. The small dredgers and 

 scrapers hold that the larger vessels are destroying the 

 oysters by the use of heavy dredges, although the 

 Connecticut farmers find it to their interest to use on 

 their own private beds far heavier dredges, which they 

 drag over the beds by steam. 



Many of the oyster-packers, who carry on their busi- 

 ness only in the winter, believe that all the damage is 

 due to the oystermen who fish in March, April and 

 May, and men who have money invested in the oys- 

 ter business in Maryland believe that the exportation 

 of oysters in the shell, and especially oysters for plant- 

 ing in Northern waters, is the cause of the mischief 



All agree in throwing the blame on some one else, 

 c^d all believe that some form of the business in which 

 they are not interested is responsible for the present 

 state of things and should be prohibited ; but as the 

 oyster navy is a convenient scapegoat, all parties unite 

 in throwing the blame upon the officers of the Fishery 

 Force. 



While the views of the oystermen are in this state 



