16 American Fisheries Society 



solved minerals and organic matter to this bay, where 

 such matter makes a long halt in its journey to the ocean, 

 and is deposited all over the bay in the form of a fine, 

 light, black sediment. This sediment is extremely rich in 

 organic matter, and in the shallow waters of the bay 

 produces a luxuriant vegetation, most of which is not 

 visible to the naked eye. This microscopic vegetation, 

 furnishes food for countless minute animals, and these 

 animals in turn furnish food for larger animals. In 

 this way the washings brought to the bay by these 

 rivers are turned into food for man in the form of de- 

 licious oysters, clams, crabs, scallops, terrapin and fin 

 fish of countless varieties; and thus are nourished the 

 fisheries of this bay. 



The importance of these fisheries is not generally re- 

 alized and the extent to which it is possible to develop 

 them, especially the shell fisheries, is dreamed of but by 

 few. At the present time more than one hundred thou- 

 sand persons in Maryland and Virginia secure their 

 entire support from these fisheries, and the incomes of 

 several times that number of people are materially in- 

 creased because of the millions of dollars brought into 

 these states annually in exchange for these fisheries prod- 

 ucts, which are now sent to every part of the country. 



This bay undoubtedly produces fin fish in quantity, 

 quality and variety unsurpassed anywhere by an area 

 of equal size ; and as a natural oyster-producing territory 

 it leads the world. 



Professor James L. Kellog, professor of Biology in 

 Williams College, in writing of the Chesapeake Bay oys- 

 ter, said: "Every one is familiar with the frequently 

 repeated statement that the Chesapeake Bay is the most 

 extensive and prolific oyster territory in the world. This 

 statement is undoubtedly true. When one compares it 

 with the northern field, the marvel of its natural fertility 

 it astonishing." "If extensive and scientific oyster cul- 

 ture were employed here, as it is in Long Island Sound, 

 the result would astonish the world." He also said: 

 "When all opposition to oyster culture has vanished, the 



