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   Oyster 
  — 
  ( 
  Ostrea 
  virginlana. 
  ) 
  

  

  In 
  my 
  last 
  report 
  submitted 
  to 
  the 
  Legislature 
  on 
  the 
  

   1st 
  of 
  January, 
  1880, 
  I 
  explained 
  how 
  the 
  consideration 
  

   of 
  the 
  oyster 
  beds 
  and 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  this 
  important 
  mol- 
  

   lusk 
  had 
  been 
  forced 
  upon 
  the 
  Commission, 
  as 
  a 
  thorough 
  

   appreciation 
  of 
  the 
  intluences 
  which 
  bear 
  upon 
  the 
  exis- 
  

   tence 
  or 
  non-existence, 
  the 
  increase 
  or 
  decrease 
  of 
  many 
  

   of 
  our 
  important 
  fishes, 
  required 
  some 
  investigation 
  as 
  

   to 
  the 
  state 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  beds 
  and 
  the 
  possibilities 
  of 
  

   employing 
  means 
  of 
  continuing 
  or 
  restoring 
  these 
  l^eds, 
  

   should 
  they 
  be 
  destroyed 
  by 
  natural 
  influences 
  or 
  by 
  the 
  

   too 
  extravagant 
  and 
  wanton 
  use 
  of 
  them. 
  

  

  Whereas 
  the 
  investigation 
  was 
  commenced 
  rather 
  to 
  

   ascertain 
  the 
  capacities 
  of 
  the 
  oyster-beds 
  for 
  pro^ 
  

   ducing 
  food 
  for 
  the 
  more 
  important 
  fishes, 
  the 
  devel- 
  

   opments 
  have 
  been 
  so 
  important 
  and 
  the 
  prospects 
  so 
  

   bright 
  of 
  increasing 
  by 
  artificial 
  means 
  not 
  only 
  the 
  num- 
  

   ber 
  of 
  oysters, 
  but 
  adding 
  to 
  their 
  excellence 
  by 
  careful 
  

   cultivation, 
  I 
  have 
  prosecuted 
  these 
  researches 
  to 
  the 
  

   fullest 
  extent 
  that 
  the 
  limited 
  means 
  at 
  my 
  disposal 
  

   would 
  permit. 
  

  

  It 
  has 
  been 
  with 
  ^uuch 
  regret 
  that 
  the 
  important 
  expe- 
  

   riments 
  have 
  of 
  necessity 
  been 
  delayed 
  and 
  postponed 
  

   from 
  time 
  to 
  time, 
  until' 
  by 
  the 
  practice 
  of 
  the 
  closest 
  

   econ<miy 
  in 
  other 
  branches 
  of 
  fish 
  culture 
  in 
  the 
  State 
  a 
  

   sufficient 
  proportion 
  of 
  the 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  appropriation 
  

   assigned 
  to 
  me 
  could 
  be 
  devoted 
  to 
  this 
  purj^s*^. 
  

  

  In 
  consequence 
  of 
  the 
  reduction 
  of 
  the 
  amount 
  availa- 
  

   ble, 
  the 
  experiments 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  made 
  on 
  such 
  a 
  scale 
  

   and 
  with 
  that 
  thoroughness 
  which 
  I 
  had 
  lioi)ed, 
  nor 
  have 
  

   they 
  been 
  made 
  as 
  rapidly 
  as 
  their 
  possible 
  importance 
  

   to 
  the 
  State 
  would 
  seem 
  to 
  demand. 
  Enough 
  has 
  been 
  

   determined 
  to 
  warrant 
  the 
  prediction 
  that 
  the 
  day 
  is 
  not 
  

   far 
  distant 
  when 
  oyster 
  culture 
  on 
  the 
  Chesapeake 
  Bay 
  

   will 
  be 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  prominent 
  industries 
  of 
  the 
  State. 
  

  

  Besides 
  indicating 
  how 
  the 
  oyster 
  industry 
  can 
  best 
  be 
  

   fostered 
  and 
  guiding 
  capital 
  in 
  its 
  best 
  investment, 
  I 
  

  

  