THE OYSTER INDUSTRY. 527 



plats, which are always salable should the owner desire to retire from the business of planting. 

 Seed is derived mainly from the James River, and allowed to lie from eighteen months to two, or 

 sometimes even three years. The latter occurs when, as sometimes happens, a bad, or several 

 successively bad seasons for growth and flavor afflict the locality. Thus previous to 1879 the 

 trade there had seriously declined, but the winter of 1879 and 1880 proved so prosperous that 

 Chincoteague again became prominent, and contributed largely to the European exportations. 

 Chineoteague's dealings are almost exclusively by railway with New York and Philadelphia, and 

 in favorable years the production exceeds 300,000 bushels, much above the average in quality, 

 so thut most of the population of a large shore region depend pon it altogether. 



A large proportion, also, of the people of Elizabeth City County are oystermen, and extensive 

 areas of its coast are planted, chiefly in Mill Creek, back of Fortress Monroe; on Hampton Flats, 

 between Newport News and Hampton Creek; in the Hampton Creek, on the edge of the channel, 

 and in Willoughby Bay, back of the Ripraps, and up James River. On all of these grounds 

 together perhaps 100.000 bushels of planted oysters are now growing; but, though limited spots 

 appear to have been filled beyond their capacity, thousands of acres of excellent planting ground 

 remain unvailable through the prejudicial effect of the State laws. This feature calls forth remarks 

 by Colonel McDonald, which explain the situation : " The Hampton Flats," he writes, " furnish a 

 notable example of a condition of things that is beginning to prevail extensively in Virginia 

 waters. Formerly they were covered with a natural growth of oysters that had great reputation 

 and commanded a high price in the markets. They lay right at the doors of Hampton, and gave 

 profitable employment to her fishermen ; now these flats are exhausted, and though possessing a 

 productive capacity of nearly half a million bushels annually under judicious planting, the law ol 

 the State, prohibiting planting upon ' oyster rock,' keeps them barren, when an annual income ol 

 not less than $125.000 is possible. There are not now, nor is it likely there ever will be again, 

 any natural, wild oysters growing there. Yet 2,500 acres of fine planting-ground, at the very 

 doors of the oystermeu, are compelled to lie idle through shortsighted prejudice." 



Back River, dividing Elizabeth City County from York, and Poquosin River, a few miles to 

 the northeast, in York County, both contain wide oyster beds, seed for which is derived mainly 

 from the upper shoals in James River. The natural oyster-rocks of York River, a broad arm of 

 the Chesapeake, 30 miles or more in length, are now insignificant, compared to former days, and 

 most of the oystermen who formerly worked on this river every season now go to the llappahan- 

 nock and the James. Relatively the oyster-planting interests are of greater importance, yet are 

 insignificant now compared to what they were ten years ago. At that time the high price of 

 oysters caused overplanting, which led to the impoverishment of the planting grounds, while the 

 sudden fall in prices ruined most of those who were engaged in the business. The larger part of 

 the seed at present is brought from the Potomac, and costs 15 or 20 cents " laid down." About 

 350,000 bushels are raised annually for the northern market by fifteen or twenty planters, who 

 receive an average of 35 cents a bushel. 



In the Rappahannock it is an indubitable fact that the natural beds are rapidly being destroyed, 

 oysters are becoming scarcer, prices are increasing from 20 to 25 per cent, each year for " plants," 

 and much discouragment is felt. The planting-grounds extend along the flats on both sides in a 

 narrow strip from Ware's wharf or Russell's Rock, which is about 8 miles above the light-house, 

 to the mouth of the river. The seed comes chiefly from the natural beds in the Rappahannock 

 and Potomac Rivers, with a few from elsewhere. The planters arc estimated at about a thousand, 

 most of whom do a very small business ; and about 400,000 bushels are taken from the beds annu- 

 ally, to be sold to northern captains, as detailed on previous pages. 



