72 Our Food Mollusks 



and perhaps more easily, than would have been possible 

 in the monarchical France of that day. The marvelous 

 natural wealth of Chesapeake Bay, as well as that of 

 other great natural oyster fields, has been nearly de- 

 stroyed, and the naturalist who was able to predict the 

 present condition with perfect certainty, had studied the 

 natural beds and the habits and life history of the oyster 

 while the public studied the display in the fish markets, 

 and, perhaps, statistical statements concerning the num- 

 ber of oysters brought to them. Fortunately artificial 

 beds have proved to be much more prolific than the 

 natural bottoms, but in nearly all cases, oyster culture 

 has been resorted to only after the natural supply has 

 been practically destroyed. 



The inevitable change came to the Cancale Bay fish- 

 eries in the middle of the century. From that time the 

 supply failed with great rapidity, as it usually does in 

 such cases, until, in the year 1868, only about a million 

 oysters were obtained, where, for so many years, more 

 than fifty times that number were dredged each season. 

 The natural beds had been practically destroyed through 

 excessive dredging. 



A similar destruction occurred at about the same time 

 in the districts of Marennes, Rochefort, the island of 

 Oleron and elsewhere on the French coast, and also in 

 the oyster bays of England. Everywhere the cause was 

 the same. 



For such a condition of affairs two remedies are al- 

 ways possible. The supply may again be increased by 

 enforcing a long close season, or a new and artificial in- 

 dustry may be developed. Obviously the latter is the 

 only practicable course to pursue. All of the more 

 valuable sources of the world's food are founded on arti- 



