﻿i'lSHERlES 
  OF 
  SOUTH 
  ATLANTIC 
  STATES. 
  387 
  

  

  6,109,510 
  pounds, 
  or 
  122.35 
  per 
  cent, 
  in 
  quantity, 
  and 
  $188,176, 
  or 
  

   110.17 
  per 
  cent, 
  in 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  products. 
  

  

  Oyster 
  fishery. 
  — 
  The 
  oyster 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  valuable 
  product 
  taken 
  in 
  

   the 
  waters 
  of 
  Georgia. 
  The 
  total 
  catch 
  in 
  1902 
  by 
  vessels 
  and 
  small 
  

   boats 
  aggregated 
  1,221,000 
  bushels, 
  valued 
  at 
  $220,467, 
  an 
  increase 
  

   over 
  1897 
  of 
  737,366 
  bushels 
  and 
  $133,758, 
  or 
  151.52 
  per 
  cent 
  in 
  quan- 
  

   tity 
  and 
  154.26 
  per 
  cent 
  in 
  value. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  vessels 
  engaged 
  in 
  

   03'stering 
  was 
  105, 
  valued 
  at 
  $52,950, 
  with 
  a 
  total 
  of 
  418 
  men; 
  the 
  

   apparatus 
  in 
  use 
  consisted 
  of 
  tongs 
  and 
  grabs. 
  The 
  catch 
  by 
  vessels 
  

   was 
  891,500 
  bushels, 
  valued 
  at 
  $132,647. 
  In 
  the 
  shore 
  fisheries 
  233 
  

   boats 
  were 
  used, 
  including 
  3 
  barges 
  and 
  1 
  small 
  steamer. 
  The 
  per- 
  

   sons 
  engaged 
  numbered 
  425, 
  many 
  of 
  whom 
  were 
  employed 
  in 
  other 
  

   fisheries 
  after 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  oj'sler 
  season, 
  and 
  the 
  catch 
  was 
  332,600 
  

   bushels, 
  valued 
  at 
  $87,820. 
  

  

  The 
  oysters 
  in 
  Georgia 
  are 
  obtained 
  chiefly 
  from 
  the 
  natural 
  beds, 
  

   and 
  are 
  known 
  as 
  "coon" 
  or 
  "bunch'' 
  03'sters. 
  Man}- 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  

   reefs 
  are 
  located 
  above 
  low-water 
  mark, 
  and 
  when 
  the 
  tide 
  recedes 
  the 
  

   03\sters 
  are 
  entire!}^ 
  exposed, 
  which 
  greatly 
  facilitates 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  

   gathering 
  them. 
  The 
  fishermen 
  visit 
  these 
  beds 
  with 
  small 
  sailing 
  

   vessels, 
  from 
  which, 
  after 
  coming 
  to 
  anchor, 
  large 
  skifi's 
  are 
  taken 
  

   and 
  moored 
  over 
  the 
  03^ster 
  grounds. 
  At 
  low 
  tide 
  the 
  men 
  land 
  on 
  

   the 
  03'ster 
  beds, 
  gather 
  the 
  oysters, 
  and 
  transfer 
  them 
  to 
  the 
  vessels. 
  

  

  In 
  recent 
  j^ears 
  more 
  attention 
  has 
  been 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  cultivation 
  of 
  

   oysters 
  in 
  this 
  state, 
  and 
  a 
  fine 
  quality 
  for 
  the 
  raw 
  or 
  open 
  stock 
  has 
  

   been 
  secured; 
  but 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  remoteness 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  grounds 
  from 
  

   the 
  habitation 
  of 
  the 
  owner, 
  their 
  general 
  cviltivation 
  becomes 
  a 
  rather 
  

   hazardous 
  undertaking, 
  since 
  to 
  maintain 
  the 
  beds 
  in 
  any 
  satisfactory 
  

   state 
  of 
  productiveness 
  calls 
  for 
  constant 
  care 
  and 
  watchfulness 
  against 
  

   depredators. 
  There 
  is 
  very 
  little 
  doubt, 
  however, 
  that 
  in 
  the 
  years 
  to 
  

   come 
  private 
  03^ster 
  culture 
  will 
  have 
  to 
  be 
  resorted 
  to 
  on 
  a 
  large 
  scale 
  

   in 
  this 
  state 
  if 
  the 
  03'ster 
  suppl3^ 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  maintained. 
  

  

  After 
  man3' 
  experiments 
  the 
  oyster 
  planters 
  of 
  Georgia 
  have 
  deter- 
  

   mined 
  that 
  the 
  best 
  bottoms 
  are 
  those 
  containing 
  mud 
  of 
  a 
  semi-liquid 
  

   consistenc3", 
  which 
  prevents 
  the 
  starfish 
  from 
  crawling 
  about, 
  and 
  also 
  

   smothers 
  the 
  drill. 
  The 
  drill 
  ( 
  Urosalpinx 
  cinerea) 
  does 
  ver3' 
  little 
  

   damage 
  to 
  03^sters 
  in 
  shalloAV 
  water, 
  but 
  is 
  rather 
  troublesome 
  in 
  deep 
  

   water. 
  The 
  salt-water 
  drum 
  is 
  considered 
  the 
  greatest 
  enem3' 
  of 
  the 
  

   young 
  oyster, 
  destro3'ing 
  man3' 
  thousands 
  annualh". 
  

  

  The 
  local 
  demand 
  for 
  shucked 
  or 
  opened 
  03'sters 
  for 
  the 
  Savannah 
  

   market 
  is 
  supplied 
  from 
  the 
  catch 
  of 
  small 
  boats 
  under 
  five 
  tons, 
  

   the 
  owners 
  of 
  which 
  for 
  the 
  most 
  part 
  reside 
  in 
  the 
  southeastern 
  part 
  

   of 
  Chatham 
  Count3', 
  on 
  Skidwa3' 
  Island. 
  The 
  oysters 
  are 
  taken 
  from 
  

   the 
  Skidwa3^ 
  River, 
  T3^bee 
  River 
  and 
  creek, 
  and 
  Halfmoon 
  River, 
  

   and 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  catch 
  is 
  gathered 
  at 
  low 
  tide 
  when 
  the 
  

   oysters 
  are 
  exposed. 
  After 
  securing 
  a 
  load 
  the 
  fisherman 
  returns 
  to 
  

  

  