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  productivity 
  of 
  the 
  bed. 
  That 
  mueli 
  is 
  assumed, 
  b«t 
  on 
  this 
  

   section 
  fhere 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  an 
  increase 
  in 
  tlie 
  number 
  of 
  oys- 
  

   ters, 
  and 
  that 
  increase 
  must 
  be 
  accounted 
  for 
  in 
  some 
  way. 
  

  

  The 
  table 
  showing 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  oysters 
  removed 
  proves 
  

   that 
  the 
  nnmber 
  taken 
  from 
  this 
  section 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  constantly 
  

   decreasing 
  one, 
  for 
  in 
  1878 
  there 
  were 
  taken 
  by 
  twice 
  as 
  many 
  

   vessels 
  four 
  times 
  as 
  many 
  oysters 
  as 
  w^ere 
  removed 
  in 
  1879. 
  

   This 
  may 
  be 
  dne 
  t* 
  two 
  causes, 
  and 
  probably 
  is 
  due. 
  to 
  

   some 
  extent, 
  to 
  both. 
  The 
  prod-activity 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  may 
  be 
  

   impaired, 
  or 
  the 
  fishery 
  may 
  be 
  less 
  earnest 
  and 
  exhaustive 
  

   than 
  in 
  the 
  past. 
  We 
  can 
  only 
  account 
  for 
  the 
  increased 
  pro- 
  

   portions 
  by 
  assuming 
  the 
  latter 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  case, 
  the 
  beds 
  hav- 
  

   ing 
  probably 
  enforced 
  a 
  resting 
  period 
  by 
  the 
  material 
  failure 
  

   of 
  the 
  oysters. 
  

  

  The 
  proportions 
  and 
  yield 
  in 
  Pocomoke 
  Sound 
  need 
  no 
  

   comment. 
  Not 
  only 
  are 
  the 
  propoi'tions 
  below 
  the 
  standard 
  

   and 
  decreasing, 
  but 
  the 
  yield 
  is 
  also 
  decreasing, 
  as 
  it 
  naturally 
  

   would 
  under 
  such 
  circumstances. 
  

  

  Naturally, 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  any 
  bed 
  ceases 
  to 
  give 
  an 
  adequate 
  

   return 
  for 
  the 
  labor 
  expended 
  upon 
  it, 
  the 
  dredging 
  vessels 
  

   will 
  seek 
  other 
  and 
  more 
  protitable 
  fields 
  for 
  exertion, 
  and 
  the 
  

   desertion 
  of 
  any 
  bed 
  nmy 
  be 
  accepted 
  as 
  an 
  indication 
  of 
  its 
  

   decreased 
  i>roduetive 
  power, 
  and, 
  as 
  has 
  been 
  mentioned 
  un- 
  

   der 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  Statistical 
  Infonnation, 
  dredging 
  vessels 
  have, 
  

   to 
  a 
  great 
  extent, 
  left 
  the 
  Sounds 
  for 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  Bay 
  

   and 
  Potomac 
  River. 
  

  

  Considering 
  the 
  abnormal 
  ratios 
  between 
  the 
  mature 
  and 
  

   young 
  oysters; 
  the 
  increased 
  percentage 
  of 
  dehris 
  on 
  the 
  

   beds 
  ; 
  the 
  smallness 
  of 
  the 
  proportions, 
  to 
  the 
  square 
  yard, 
  and 
  

   the 
  decrease 
  of 
  those 
  proportions 
  on 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  beds, 
  together 
  

   with 
  the 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  oysters, 
  young 
  and 
  old, 
  annually 
  

   removed, 
  I 
  am 
  of 
  the 
  opinion 
  that 
  though 
  the 
  fecundity 
  of 
  

   the 
  beds 
  in 
  Tangier 
  Sound 
  is 
  not 
  yet 
  destroyed, 
  it 
  is 
  very 
  

   much 
  impaired, 
  and 
  that 
  not 
  only 
  are 
  the 
  beds 
  rapidly 
  and 
  

   surely 
  deteriorating 
  from 
  the 
  excessive 
  fishery, 
  but 
  that 
  their 
  

   total 
  failure, 
  like 
  unto 
  that 
  in 
  Pocomoke 
  Sound, 
  is 
  but 
  a 
  ques- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  time. 
  

  

  So 
  far 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  possible 
  to 
  make 
  any 
  more 
  exact 
  prediction 
  

  

  