380 OYSTERS IN AMERICA. [CHAP. vm. 



coast of Africa plucked too from the very trees that our 

 good, but ignorant, forefathers did not believe in. The ancient 

 Eomans, who knew all the secrets of good living, had the 

 oysters of all countries brought to their fish-stews, in order 

 that they might experiment upon them and fatten them for 

 table purposes. Although they gave the palm to those from 

 Britain, they had a great many varieties from Africa, and had 

 ingenious modes of transporting them to great distances which 

 have been lost to modern pisciculturists. 



Many other parts of America besides the New York dis- 

 trict are famous for oysters ; and in some parts of the Ameri- 

 can Continent they grow to a very large size. So important, 

 in fact, do the Americans consider the oyster, that it has been 

 the subject of innumerable " messages " by Governors, Vice- 

 Presidents, heads of departments, etc. the last we have seen 

 being that of Governor Wise to the Legislature of Virginia. 

 According to that gentleman's estimate, Virginia possesses an 

 area of about 1,680,000 acres of oyster-beds, containing about 

 784,000,000 of bushels of that one mollusc. It is estimated by 

 some naturalists that the oyster spawns at least 3,000,000 an- 

 nually ; yet, notwithstanding this enormous productive power, 

 and the vast extent of oyster-beds in this one state, there is 

 danger, the governor tells us, of the oyster being exterminated, 

 unless measures are taken to prevent their being dredged at im- 

 proper seasons of the year. Governor Wise proposes to confine 

 the oyster-catching business to citizens of the state exclu- 

 sively, and to charge three cents a bushel for all the oysters 

 taken, which he estimates would yield an annual revenue of 

 480,000 dollars. The governor is of opinion that the oyster- 

 banks so regulated will pay a better bonus to the state than 

 paper-money banks, and regards them as a richer source of 

 profit than either gold, iron, or copper mines. Another of the 

 American States may be mentioned for its oyster wealth. 

 The seabord of Georgia is famed for its immense supplies of 



