144 



THE OYSTER. 



off, you have more and more difficulty each year in 

 filling your orders, and I can see for myself that your 

 oysters are not as fine and substantial as they used to 

 be. You tell me that you buy Virginia and North 

 Carolina oysters, although your own beds are right here 

 at home. Now I should like to know whether the 

 waters of Maryland are not as fit for growing oysters 

 as those of other States ? " 



" Certainly they are," answered the packer. " We 

 all know that our waters are capable of producing 

 the finest oysters in the world in immeasurable abund- 

 ance. Like all citizens of Maryland, I am proud of this 

 great natural resource, and I regard our oyster grounds 

 as by far the most valuable land in our State." 



" What is the trouble ? Is the demand too great 

 to be supplied from your own waters?" 



" That is a difficult question to answer in a word. 

 For some time past the demand has exceeded the sup- 

 ply from the natural beds, which formerly gave us all 

 the oysters we needed; and as the eating-houses and 

 the private consumers in the city take all the best, I am 

 forced to send my customers oysters too young to be 

 palatable and nutritious. But the demand from all 

 sources has never reached anything like the amount 

 which our oyster-beds might easily be made to yield." 



" I cannot make your two statements agree. The 

 sale and consumption of immature oysters seem to me 

 like mowing down young wheat to make hay. Why 

 is nothing done to increase the supply ? I am told that 

 in Delaware and New Jersey, in Rhode Island and in 



