THE OYSTER. 



173 



culture. State aid is unnecessary, and experience has 

 shown that it is totally inefficient, and our public beds 

 must either be cultivated by the oystermen as an organ- 

 ized body, for the good of all, or they must cease to 

 be public ground, and must be cultivated by indi- 

 viduals for their own profit. 



It now remains to consider the measures which 

 should be adopted for the protection and development 

 of the other branches of the oyster industry, but this 

 is comparatively simple. 



First, as regards the tide-water consumers of oys- 

 ters. So far as they are fishermen upon the public 

 beds, they should become members of an oystermen's 

 association for the preservation, restoration and devel- 

 opment of the public domain. 



So far as they are planters upon private grounds, 

 their greatest need is protection in their rights and 

 encouragement to invest their time and money in the 

 extension of the planting business. As soon as the 

 first condition of success, respect for private property, 

 has been secured, the planting industry will grow 

 rapidly, and I have already devoted considerable space 

 (pp. 125-140) to the discussion of improved methods. 



Success in planting requires security in the tenure 

 of bottoms to be used for the purpose, and I believe 

 that the following provisions for the growth of the 

 industry should be made by the State : 



Any owner of land the lines of which extend under 

 the navigable waters of the State, should have the ex- 

 clusive right to use the bottom within the lines for 



