﻿150 
  

  

  stances 
  that 
  may 
  be 
  quoted 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  show 
  the 
  disastrous 
  

   effects 
  of 
  over-working 
  the 
  beds, 
  and 
  in 
  concluding 
  the 
  re- 
  

   marks 
  under 
  that 
  head, 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  instructive 
  to 
  extract 
  from 
  

   Professor 
  Mobius' 
  work 
  his 
  prophecy 
  with 
  regard 
  to 
  our 
  own 
  

   beds, 
  which 
  is 
  here 
  introduced 
  : 
  

  

  " 
  In 
  North 
  America 
  the 
  oysters 
  are 
  so 
  tine 
  and 
  so 
  cheap 
  

   " 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  eaten 
  daily 
  by 
  all 
  classes. 
  Hence, 
  they 
  are 
  

   " 
  now, 
  and 
  have 
  been 
  for 
  a 
  long 
  time, 
  a 
  real 
  means 
  of 
  subsist- 
  

   " 
  ance 
  for 
  the 
  people. 
  This 
  enviable 
  fact 
  is 
  no 
  argument 
  

   " 
  against 
  the 
  injuriousness 
  of 
  a 
  continuous 
  and 
  severe 
  fishing 
  

   "of 
  the 
  beds. 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  But 
  as 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  consumers 
  

   " 
  increases 
  in 
  America 
  the 
  price 
  will 
  also 
  surely 
  advance, 
  and 
  

   " 
  then 
  there 
  will 
  arise 
  a 
  desire 
  to 
  fish 
  the 
  banks 
  more 
  severely 
  

   " 
  than 
  hitherto, 
  and 
  if 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  accept 
  in 
  time 
  the 
  unfor- 
  

   " 
  tunate 
  experience 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  culturists 
  of 
  Europe 
  they 
  

   " 
  will 
  surely 
  find 
  their 
  oyster 
  beds 
  impoverished 
  for 
  having 
  

   " 
  defied 
  the 
  bioconotic 
  laws." 
  

  

  The 
  question 
  now 
  to 
  be 
  decided 
  is 
  how 
  the 
  protection 
  of 
  

   the 
  beds 
  and 
  their 
  improvement 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  brought 
  about. 
  The 
  

   protecting 
  laws 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  of 
  Maryland, 
  which 
  govern 
  the 
  

   larger 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  Sounds, 
  are 
  briefly 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  Dredging 
  is 
  

   allowed 
  from 
  October 
  1st 
  to 
  May 
  1st. 
  Taking 
  of 
  oysters 
  in 
  

   other 
  ways 
  from 
  September 
  1st 
  to 
  May 
  1st. 
  Dredging 
  is 
  

   not 
  allowed 
  in 
  the 
  rivers 
  and 
  creeks 
  of 
  the 
  Sounds 
  or 
  in 
  their 
  

   mouths. 
  ISTo 
  steam 
  dredgers 
  are 
  allowed. 
  All 
  dredgers 
  

   and 
  " 
  tongers 
  " 
  must 
  be 
  licensed. 
  Yiolations 
  of 
  the 
  law 
  are 
  

   punished 
  by 
  not 
  more 
  than 
  two 
  years 
  imprisonment 
  nor 
  |200 
  

   fine. 
  For 
  the 
  enforcement 
  of 
  these 
  regulations 
  there 
  is 
  estab- 
  

   lished 
  a 
  State 
  Fishery 
  Force, 
  consisting 
  of 
  one 
  steamer 
  and 
  

   several 
  small 
  sloops 
  ; 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  having 
  jurisdiction 
  over 
  

   Tangier 
  and 
  Pocomoke 
  Sounds. 
  The 
  officers 
  of 
  this 
  Fishery 
  

   Force 
  and 
  the 
  sheriffs 
  and 
  constables 
  of 
  the 
  different 
  counties 
  

   are 
  empowered 
  to 
  make 
  arrests 
  and 
  enforce 
  the 
  law. 
  

  

  The 
  above 
  is 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  protection 
  afforded 
  by 
  the 
  law 
  if 
  

   carried 
  out. 
  In 
  the 
  Sounds, 
  in 
  reality, 
  there 
  is 
  none. 
  Neither 
  

   the 
  State 
  Fishery 
  Force, 
  sherift's, 
  constables, 
  or 
  any 
  other 
  per- 
  

   sons 
  make 
  arrests 
  or 
  enforce 
  the 
  law 
  ; 
  the 
  public 
  opinion 
  of 
  

   the 
  community 
  being 
  against 
  such 
  a 
  proceeding, 
  though 
  every 
  

  

  