﻿CXI 
  V 
  

  

  of 
  Vanne 
  and 
  Aiiray 
  ; 
  tlie 
  !ih 
  ingle, 
  slate, 
  brush, 
  %)ottery 
  

   and 
  other 
  forms 
  of 
  collectors, 
  severally 
  the 
  favorites 
  in 
  

   various 
  localities. 
  

  

  Having 
  advanced 
  thus 
  far 
  in 
  our 
  experiments, 
  it 
  would 
  

   be 
  well 
  -for 
  us 
  to 
  follow 
  the 
  methods 
  of 
  treatment 
  and 
  

   j)reparation 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  in 
  practice 
  at 
  Courseulles, 
  Les 
  

   Sables 
  D' 
  Oleron 
  and 
  Marennes, 
  where 
  the 
  energy 
  of 
  the 
  

   culturalist 
  is 
  devoted 
  to 
  the 
  fattening 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  for 
  

   market. 
  

  

  The 
  oyster 
  industry 
  forms 
  too 
  considerable 
  a 
  portion 
  

   of 
  the 
  wealth 
  of 
  the 
  Chesapeake 
  Bay 
  and 
  is 
  of 
  too 
  much 
  

   commercial 
  value 
  to 
  be 
  allow^ed 
  to 
  suffer 
  decline. 
  

  

  I 
  trust 
  that 
  we 
  may 
  be 
  enabled 
  to 
  prosecute 
  our 
  inqui- 
  

   ries 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  present 
  to 
  the 
  consideration 
  of 
  the 
  Legisla- 
  

   ture 
  the 
  unanswerable 
  logic 
  of 
  facts 
  and 
  suggest 
  the 
  metli- 
  

   ods 
  of 
  x)i"otection 
  and 
  devise 
  means 
  for 
  continuing 
  an 
  

   ample 
  supply 
  of 
  a 
  great 
  blessing 
  which, 
  although 
  lavishly 
  

   enjoyed, 
  has 
  scarcely 
  been 
  fully 
  appreciated. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  feared 
  that 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  previous 
  legislation 
  

   has 
  been 
  ineffective, 
  as 
  based 
  on 
  evidence 
  defective 
  and 
  

   misleading 
  in 
  its 
  character, 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  misstatements 
  

   and 
  convictions 
  formed 
  by 
  conflicting 
  advice 
  given 
  

   by 
  interested 
  persons 
  or 
  by 
  those 
  misguided 
  by 
  too 
  im- 
  

   perfect 
  gbservation. 
  

  

  Respectfully 
  submitted, 
  

  

  T. 
  B. 
  FERGUSON, 
  

  

  Commissioner. 
  

  

  