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  laying 
  the 
  deterioration 
  to 
  excessive 
  dredging, 
  while 
  the 
  

   dredgers, 
  or 
  those 
  .owning 
  pungies 
  or 
  other 
  vessels 
  em- 
  

   ployed 
  exclusively 
  with 
  the 
  dredge, 
  while 
  they 
  admitted 
  the 
  

   decrease 
  in 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  oysters, 
  laid 
  such 
  decrease 
  to 
  the 
  

   action 
  of 
  natural 
  and 
  unexplained 
  causes, 
  arguing 
  that 
  the 
  

   evident 
  extension 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  and 
  improvement 
  of 
  the 
  oys- 
  

   ters, 
  due 
  to 
  dredging, 
  was 
  sufficient 
  to 
  prove 
  its 
  good 
  rather 
  

   than 
  ill 
  effects. 
  

  

  In 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  effects 
  of 
  ice 
  in 
  cold 
  weather, 
  every 
  one 
  

   coincided 
  in 
  the 
  opinion 
  that 
  the 
  oysters 
  in 
  deep 
  water 
  were 
  

   most 
  affected, 
  and 
  those 
  in 
  shoal 
  or 
  brackish 
  water 
  were 
  least 
  

   so. 
  In 
  the 
  same 
  depths 
  and 
  character 
  of 
  water, 
  those 
  oysters 
  

   about 
  the 
  edges 
  of 
  "muddy 
  rocks" 
  and 
  close 
  to 
  muddy 
  channels 
  

   or 
  sloughs 
  were 
  most 
  affected 
  by 
  the 
  cold 
  or 
  a 
  severe 
  freeze. 
  

   After 
  the 
  latter 
  event 
  the 
  packers 
  distinguish 
  the 
  deep 
  water 
  

   oyster 
  by 
  its 
  dark, 
  slimy 
  appearance, 
  and 
  decline 
  it, 
  though 
  at 
  

   the 
  same 
  time 
  shoal 
  water 
  oysters 
  are 
  in 
  good 
  order 
  and 
  are 
  ac- 
  

   cepted. 
  With 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  quality 
  of 
  the 
  animals, 
  those 
  in 
  

   the 
  Sounds 
  were 
  considered 
  liner 
  than 
  those 
  in 
  the 
  creeks 
  and 
  

   rivers, 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  different 
  beds 
  those 
  from 
  the 
  Shark's 
  Fin, 
  

   Terrapin 
  Sands 
  and 
  Bird 
  Rocks 
  were 
  considered 
  superior. 
  

   Regarding 
  flavor 
  alone, 
  those 
  from 
  the 
  salt 
  water 
  were 
  the 
  best, 
  

   and 
  generally 
  the 
  Salter 
  the 
  water 
  the 
  better 
  the 
  flavor. 
  

  

  In 
  regard 
  to 
  an 
  increased 
  freshness 
  of 
  water, 
  due 
  to 
  fresh- 
  

   ets 
  and 
  heavy 
  rains, 
  it 
  was 
  the 
  general 
  opinion 
  that 
  during 
  

   the 
  winter 
  season 
  it 
  was 
  not 
  of 
  much 
  consequence, 
  but 
  that 
  

   in 
  spring 
  or 
  summer 
  heavy 
  rains 
  or 
  freshets 
  were 
  very 
  bene- 
  

   ficial, 
  especially 
  in 
  the 
  spawning 
  season, 
  hastening 
  its 
  advent 
  

   and 
  shortening 
  its 
  duration. 
  An 
  increased 
  freshness 
  of 
  water 
  

   always 
  fattened 
  the 
  oyster. 
  Oysters 
  in 
  salt 
  water 
  were 
  al- 
  

   ways 
  poor 
  and 
  oysters 
  were 
  generally 
  poorer 
  after 
  a 
  dry 
  sea- 
  

   son. 
  Planted 
  oysters 
  above 
  Pig 
  Point 
  and 
  the 
  Old 
  Rocks, 
  

   in 
  Pocomoke 
  Sound, 
  have 
  been 
  known 
  to 
  die 
  from 
  ab- 
  

   sorbing 
  too 
  much 
  fresh 
  water 
  and 
  those 
  on 
  the 
  Old 
  Rocks 
  

   have 
  sometimes 
  suffered 
  from 
  the 
  same 
  cause, 
  but 
  this 
  only 
  

   occurs 
  during 
  heavy 
  freshets. 
  

  

  With 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  deptli 
  of 
  water 
  and 
  character 
  of 
  bottom, 
  

   shallow 
  water 
  was 
  preferred, 
  and 
  sticky 
  mud 
  or 
  mud 
  and 
  sand, 
  

  

  