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  labor, 
  and 
  leave 
  the 
  overworked 
  beds 
  for 
  the 
  newly 
  discovered 
  

   ones, 
  thus 
  giving 
  the 
  former 
  a 
  chance 
  for 
  recuperation. 
  That 
  

   this 
  is 
  the 
  case 
  is 
  evident 
  by 
  the 
  record 
  of 
  statistics, 
  most 
  of 
  

   the 
  dredging 
  vessels 
  working 
  on 
  the 
  new 
  beds 
  outside 
  the 
  

   Sound 
  and 
  on 
  those 
  in 
  the 
  Potomac 
  River 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  

   poor 
  returns 
  given 
  by 
  the 
  beds 
  in 
  Tangier 
  and 
  Pocomoke 
  

   Sounds. 
  

  

  The 
  protection 
  afforded 
  in 
  this 
  manner 
  would, 
  however, 
  be 
  

   but 
  temporary, 
  the 
  demand 
  for 
  oj^sters 
  constantly 
  increasing, 
  

   and 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  vessels 
  working 
  liable 
  to 
  increase 
  with 
  it. 
  

   It 
  may 
  soon 
  be 
  necessary 
  to 
  legislate 
  for 
  the 
  direct 
  protection 
  

   of 
  the 
  beds 
  and 
  to 
  limit 
  the 
  supply 
  by 
  law^ 
  before 
  it 
  is 
  stop- 
  

   ped 
  entirely 
  by 
  nature 
  It 
  is 
  well, 
  therefore, 
  for 
  the 
  best 
  in- 
  

   terests 
  of 
  all 
  classes 
  that 
  such 
  an 
  amount 
  of 
  information 
  

   should 
  be 
  collected, 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  and 
  oysters 
  

   and 
  the 
  general 
  conditions 
  under 
  which 
  they 
  advantageously 
  

   live, 
  as 
  would 
  direct 
  protective 
  laws 
  into 
  a 
  channel 
  productive 
  

   of 
  most 
  good. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  necessary 
  information 
  to 
  be 
  obtained, 
  and 
  of 
  

   greatest 
  moment, 
  would 
  be 
  a 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  positions 
  and 
  

   areas 
  of 
  the 
  beds. 
  No 
  law 
  could 
  well 
  be 
  passed 
  which 
  would 
  

   protect 
  a 
  bed 
  whose 
  position 
  and 
  boundary 
  was 
  not 
  at 
  least 
  

   approximately 
  known, 
  nor 
  could 
  any 
  study 
  of 
  separate 
  beds 
  

   or 
  comparisons 
  of 
  many 
  be 
  undertaken 
  without 
  such 
  knowl- 
  

   edge. 
  Again, 
  since 
  nature 
  lias 
  already 
  selected 
  these 
  areas 
  as 
  

   those 
  most 
  favorable 
  to 
  the 
  growth 
  and 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  oyster, 
  they 
  

   evidently 
  are 
  the 
  best 
  grounds 
  upon 
  which 
  to 
  deposit 
  the 
  

   young 
  brood, 
  should 
  the 
  experiments 
  of 
  Dr. 
  Brooks 
  prove 
  suc- 
  

   cessful 
  and 
  of 
  practical 
  impoi'tance. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  hardly 
  possible 
  to 
  enumerate 
  all 
  the 
  advantages 
  of 
  

   knowing 
  the 
  positions 
  and 
  areas 
  of 
  the 
  natural 
  beds, 
  and 
  in- 
  

   deed 
  it 
  may 
  safely 
  be 
  said 
  that 
  a 
  thorough 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  

   question 
  would 
  be 
  impossible 
  without 
  it. 
  

  

  Of 
  next 
  importance 
  is 
  the 
  knowledge 
  whether 
  at 
  any 
  time 
  

   the 
  bed 
  is 
  in 
  a 
  condition 
  of 
  greatest 
  fecundity. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  attempt 
  to 
  attain 
  this 
  knowledge 
  the 
  proportion 
  of 
  

   oysters 
  to 
  the 
  square 
  yard 
  of 
  the 
  surface 
  was 
  ascertained 
  dur- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  season 
  of 
  1878, 
  as 
  described 
  by 
  me 
  in 
  my 
  previous 
  

   11 
  

  

  