1 68 THE OYSTER. 



are so small and so firmly fastened to the old one that 

 they cannot be removed without destroying them, and 

 even \{ the oystermen could be compelled to throw 

 back on to the beds any large oyster which has small 

 ones fastened to it, there is reason to doubt whether 

 this would be advantageous, for one full-grown oyster, 

 like a bird in the hand, is more valuable than two 

 small ones which may or may not grow up to matur- 

 ity. I believe, however, that in cases where great 

 numbers of young are fastened to the large ones, the 

 use or destruction of them at the packing-house should 

 be discouraged. This difficulty will disappear with 

 the growth of the planting industry, for small oysters 

 will then be valuable as seed, and they will pass into 

 the hands of the planters instead of going to the pack- 

 ing-houses. The true remedy, therefore, is the en- 

 couragement of planting, and if our people would de- 

 velop this business immediately, all need for special 

 legislation would disappear. 



The destruction of young oysters at the packing- 

 houses is trifling, however, compared with that which 

 results from violations of the culling laws. When a 

 dredge is brought up from an oyster-bed it usually 

 contains a few marketable oysters and great quantities 

 of empty shells, which are often covered with young 

 oysters. The law requires that these shells shall be ' 

 thrown back upon the beds where they are taken, 

 under a penalty of three years' imprisonment, or three 

 hundred dollars fine, or the forfeiture of the boat used, 

 but the enactment of this law has failed to remedy the 

 evil. It is and always must be very difficult to enforce 

 a culling law, and as the captain of a dredging boat 



