246 Our Food Mollusks 



much less. • In 1890 the resident oystermen alone sold 

 914,130 bushels — probably quite ten times the average 

 number formerly gathered. But during this one season, 

 the non-resident dredgers, who had excited all this in- 

 dustry among the local oystermen, gathered and carried 

 away a much larger number, of which no record was 

 made. The outsiders had now come not only from the 

 Chesapeake, but also from Delaware and New Jersey, 

 and their dredging vessels numbered at least two hun- 

 dred and fifty. It has been estimated that in this year 

 they obtained at least 1,800,000 bushels from Pamlico 

 Sound. 



When these facts were understood by the people of the 

 state, they naturally felt very strongly that they were 

 being despoiled by outsiders of great wealth belonging 

 to them alone, and before another oyster season had 

 come, drastic laws were passed that prohibited all dredg- 

 ing by non-residents, and shortened the season for the 

 taking of oysters by resident oystermen. The result of 

 the enforcement of these laws exceeded all expectations, 

 as is shown by the fact that the number of bushels mar- 

 keted during the season ending in 1894 was only sixty 

 thousand — less than the average of the earlier years, 

 when only wooden tongs were employed. But still the 

 laws were retained, and in the season ending in 1897, but 

 forty thousand bushels were reported as having been 

 taken. 



Of course, such a degree of stagnation made it evi- 

 dent that a mistake had been made, and in that year the 

 open season was lengthened. The wisdom of the change 

 was proved during the following season, when 858,818 

 bushels were marketed. Very much encouraged by this 

 showing, with the demand for oysters increasing, the 





