﻿215 
  

  

  a 
  larger 
  number 
  of 
  03'sters 
  to 
  be 
  taken. 
  In 
  addition, 
  the 
  ma- 
  

   ture 
  oysters 
  are 
  smaller 
  than 
  on 
  the 
  southern 
  beds, 
  ^ 
  shown 
  

   in 
  the 
  Table 
  I, 
  Dredging 
  Results, 
  thus 
  a 
  greater 
  number 
  

   would 
  be 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  dredge 
  and 
  the 
  proportion 
  increased. 
  

  

  2d. 
  Though 
  the 
  proportions 
  are 
  verj 
  large, 
  yet 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  

   serious 
  decrease 
  from 
  that 
  established 
  in 
  1878. 
  

  

  By 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  "• 
  Table 
  showing 
  number 
  of 
  oysters 
  re- 
  

   moved," 
  I 
  find 
  that 
  the 
  largest 
  numlSer 
  of 
  oysters 
  were 
  re- 
  

   moved 
  from 
  this 
  section 
  in 
  both 
  seasons, 
  and 
  supposing 
  the 
  

   number 
  of 
  dredging 
  vessels 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  constant, 
  instead 
  of 
  

   diminishing, 
  one-half 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  oysters 
  removed 
  in 
  1879 
  

   would 
  be 
  greater 
  by 
  fourteen 
  millions 
  than 
  the 
  number 
  re- 
  

   moved 
  in 
  1878, 
  or 
  that 
  the 
  fishing 
  is 
  proportionally 
  increas- 
  

   ing. 
  

  

  As 
  this 
  fishing 
  is 
  confined 
  principally 
  to 
  the 
  mature 
  oysters, 
  

   it 
  can 
  be 
  readily 
  understood 
  why 
  the 
  proportion 
  of 
  these 
  oys- 
  

   ters 
  to 
  the 
  square 
  yard 
  should 
  be 
  much 
  decreased. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  second 
  section 
  we 
  find 
  the 
  proportions 
  to 
  be 
  nearly 
  

   the 
  same 
  as 
  those 
  outside, 
  and 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  gain 
  in 
  the 
  rivers 
  

   where 
  there 
  is 
  the 
  minimum 
  amount 
  of 
  dredging, 
  and 
  on 
  two 
  

   beds 
  which 
  were 
  worked 
  very 
  little 
  in 
  1878-9, 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  

   the 
  young 
  growth 
  which 
  had 
  attached 
  to 
  them. 
  

  

  The 
  proportional 
  increase 
  of 
  dredging, 
  as 
  shown 
  by 
  the 
  

   numbers 
  removed 
  in 
  each 
  season, 
  supposing 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  

   dredging 
  vessels 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  the 
  same, 
  would 
  be 
  on 
  this 
  sec 
  

   tion 
  eleven 
  millions, 
  and 
  these 
  were 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  western 
  

   beds 
  and 
  Piney 
  Island 
  Bar 
  principally, 
  and 
  on 
  those 
  beds 
  

   there 
  is 
  a 
  diminished 
  proportion. 
  

  

  Again, 
  we 
  find 
  by 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  tables 
  that 
  on 
  the 
  south- 
  

   ern 
  beds 
  in 
  Tangier 
  Sound 
  the 
  proportion 
  to 
  the 
  square 
  yard 
  

   is 
  much 
  smaller 
  than 
  that 
  on 
  the 
  beds 
  in 
  the 
  Bay, 
  and 
  this 
  is 
  

   due 
  to 
  probably 
  two 
  causes 
  — 
  the 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  bed 
  or 
  the 
  

   depth 
  of 
  the 
  water, 
  hardness 
  of 
  bottom 
  and 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  oys- 
  

   ters, 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  removal 
  of 
  too 
  large 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  mature 
  oys- 
  

   ters. 
  

  

  As 
  I 
  have 
  pointed 
  out 
  a 
  proportion 
  on 
  a 
  worked 
  bed 
  which 
  

   falls 
  much 
  below 
  that 
  on 
  an 
  unworked 
  one, 
  must, 
  other 
  things 
  

   being 
  equal, 
  be 
  accepted 
  as 
  an 
  indication 
  of 
  a 
  decrease 
  in 
  the 
  

  

  