﻿154 
  

  

  tain 
  specified 
  time, 
  provided 
  that 
  the 
  oysters 
  were 
  opened 
  in 
  

   their 
  immediate 
  vicinity. 
  Large 
  numbers 
  of 
  young 
  would 
  

   thus 
  be 
  saved 
  and 
  the 
  areas 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  increased. 
  No 
  one 
  

   should 
  be 
  allowed 
  to 
  take 
  or 
  to 
  possess 
  an 
  oyster 
  having 
  more 
  

   than 
  a 
  specified 
  number 
  of 
  young 
  attached 
  to 
  it. 
  During 
  the 
  

   time 
  when 
  not 
  otherwise 
  employed 
  the 
  oyster 
  guard-boats 
  

   could 
  be 
  usefully 
  engaged 
  in 
  removing 
  the 
  weeds 
  and 
  grass 
  

   from 
  the 
  sand 
  shoals, 
  and 
  the 
  moss 
  from 
  the 
  closed 
  beds. 
  It 
  

   must 
  be 
  remembered 
  that 
  dredging 
  is 
  not 
  an 
  unmixed 
  evil, 
  

   and 
  that 
  the 
  improvement 
  of 
  the 
  oysters 
  and 
  the 
  extended 
  

   areas 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  are 
  mainly 
  due 
  to 
  it 
  ; 
  but 
  it 
  should 
  be 
  con- 
  

   ducted 
  under 
  suitable 
  restrictions, 
  and 
  in 
  this 
  connection 
  may 
  

   be 
  advised 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  the 
  scrape 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  now 
  prohibited, 
  

   and 
  the 
  prohibition 
  of 
  the 
  heavy 
  dredges 
  in 
  shoal 
  water 
  and 
  

   on 
  the 
  soft 
  bottoms. 
  

  

  If 
  there 
  is 
  any 
  animal 
  known 
  to 
  naturalists 
  that 
  is 
  an 
  en- 
  

   emy 
  of 
  the 
  drill 
  and 
  not 
  harmful 
  to 
  the 
  oyster, 
  its 
  introduction 
  

   into 
  the 
  Sounds 
  would 
  be 
  a 
  great 
  benefit, 
  and 
  finally, 
  if 
  in 
  the 
  

   spring 
  either 
  the 
  State 
  or 
  the 
  fishermen 
  would 
  collect 
  the 
  

   shells 
  from 
  the 
  piles 
  about 
  the 
  packing 
  houses 
  and 
  deposit 
  

   them 
  on 
  the 
  hard 
  bottoms 
  contiguous 
  to 
  the 
  beds, 
  they 
  would 
  

   furnish 
  an 
  excellent 
  " 
  cultch 
  " 
  for 
  the 
  " 
  spat," 
  and 
  probably 
  

   make 
  a 
  good 
  catch 
  and 
  a 
  permanent 
  extension 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  

   ground. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  made 
  the 
  above 
  suggestions 
  with 
  the 
  hope 
  that 
  they 
  

   may 
  in 
  some 
  way 
  bear 
  fruit 
  for 
  the 
  benefit 
  of 
  those 
  engaged 
  

   in 
  the 
  oyster 
  fishery 
  in 
  the 
  Sounds 
  and 
  Bay. 
  Some 
  more 
  ad- 
  

   equate 
  protection 
  than 
  that 
  now 
  oifered 
  must 
  soon 
  be 
  aftbrded 
  

   or 
  loss 
  and 
  distress 
  among 
  the 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  people 
  in 
  Ma- 
  

   ryland 
  and 
  Yirginia 
  engaged 
  in 
  the 
  fishery 
  will 
  soon 
  follow 
  

   from 
  the 
  failure 
  (and 
  that 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  sudden) 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  

   industry. 
  In 
  concluding 
  this 
  part 
  of 
  my 
  report, 
  I 
  cannot 
  do 
  

   better 
  than 
  to 
  again 
  quote 
  Prof. 
  Mobius, 
  whose 
  remarks 
  on 
  

   the 
  preservation 
  of 
  natural 
  banks 
  of 
  oysters 
  are 
  well 
  worthy 
  

   of 
  attention 
  : 
  

  

  " 
  In 
  conclusion, 
  I 
  hereby 
  give 
  as 
  the 
  foundation 
  for 
  all 
  

   " 
  oyster 
  culture 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  rules 
  for 
  the 
  improvement 
  

   " 
  of 
  the 
  natural 
  oyster 
  banks. 
  

  

  