THE OYSTER. 223 



of detail will require close attention, self-sacrifice and 

 careful thought, but I do not believe that the difficul- 

 ties will be found insuperable if an earnest effort is 

 made to work out a plan of co-operative organization. 



Certainly the people of the State would rejoice to 

 see such a plan developed and put into successful 

 operation, and no obstacles would be thrown in the way 

 of the oystermen by outsiders. The only difficulty is 

 the one which comes from human nature. 



The native American is too ambitious, too fond of 

 competition, and too desirous of full scope for his own 

 individual energy and intelligence and business sharp- 

 ness, to take kindly to a co-operative organization ; 

 but the only way to afford a field for these selfish quali- 

 ties is private oyster-culture, and if our natural beds 

 are to be retained as public ground they must be man- 

 aged on a co-operative system. 



No one can say whether such a system would suc- 

 ceed or not, but it is well worth trying for a term of 

 years. If at the end of this period the result were 

 satisfactory, all the people of the State would be proud 

 of our oystermen, and it could then be renewed for 

 another term, or forever, as seemed best. 



If the organization should break down or fail 

 through internal dissension or personal ambition or 

 conflict of interests, no great harm would be done, for 

 the system of private culture could then be tried. 



Some of the oystermen will assert that they have no 

 money to invest in the improvement of the beds, and 

 that the State ought to help them out ; that what little 

 capital they had has be.en lost in the last few years, 

 and that, in order to be successful, the fishery would 



