490 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



supply of sood oj'sters is exhausted. Theu the oyyter planters will liave to go to 

 the legislature for the enactment of a law which will protect them from marauders 

 who come by night and carry off their property, as well as those who despoil them 

 by legal process. The present law under which these lots are staked off and planted 

 affords no manner of protection to the industrious planter. Planting on natural 

 beds is prohibited, and the common practice is for persons interested to wait until 

 the oysters in a private lot are marketable, and then they go into court and prove 

 that at some time long past the lot staked off was a natural bed. This is easy to do, 

 as in past years nearly the whole bottom of the coves and creeks where oysters will 

 grow had oy;^ters on them. After this proof is sul)mitted the court orders the lot to 

 be vacated, and then outsiders carry off the oysters which have been planted. This 

 has gone on so regularly and persistently that it is surprising to hear that men will 

 take the risks. If all or a large majority of those interested in the oyster industry 

 in a locality become planters, then all will be equally interested in protecting the 

 beds. Then the oystermen will, perhaps, cease their opposition to the enactment 

 of a law which will protect planters in their rights. * * * 



While Maryland is neglecting her opportunities and frittering away a vast mine 

 of wealth, other States, by enlightened legislation, are growing rich from oyster 

 bottoms greatly inferior to ours. Not only is a great food supply disappearing, but 

 people are losing a profitable employment and oyster canneries are moving from the 

 State to other States where a supply of oysters can be procured. 



As a rule, oysters are marketed as soon as caught, but at Solo- 

 mons, Calvert County, and vicinity the oystermen bed their catch and 

 let it remain down for a better market. This insures an increased 

 price, the O3''stors having a chance to fatten. This is especialh" advan- 

 tageous during the early part of the season, when the 03'sters are 

 rather poor and the demand for them light. 



With the exception of Baltimore the most important oyster centers 

 in the State are Cambridge and Crisfield, the number of men and 

 boats engaged in the fishery from these towns being ver}- much greater 

 than from J^altimore. Deal Island, Oxford, Tilghman Island, and St. 

 Michael also have large investments in this lisher}". 



Clams. — Clams are of commercial importance in onh" two counties, 

 Somerset and Worcester. In the former t\xQy are taken in Pocomoke 

 Sound b}^ fishermen from Crisfield and vicinity. In lOOl, however, 

 a few men from Fairmount fished for clams to a limited extent in Tan- 

 gier Sound. In "\^''orcester Count}'' the entire catch is taken from 

 Chincoteaguc and Sinepuxent bays. 



Cral)H. — The crab fishery is next in commercial importance to the 

 oj^ster, though the investment in boats, apparatus, and shore property 

 is small compared with that in the oyster fishery, and practically no 

 revenue is derived from it by the State, as no license of any kind is 

 required, except in Dorchester County, where a fee of $2.50 is charged 

 for the privilege of scraping. No restrictions as to seasons or size of 

 crabs are imposed. There has been a noticeable increase in this 

 fisher}' since 1897. and the outlook for the industry appears l)right, 

 though the catch in most localities in 1902 was small. The demand 

 for l)()th live crabs and crab meat is constantly growing, and the 

 num])er of factories engaged in tlu^ preparation of crab meat is 



