THIRTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 149 
valued at about $13,000,000. While these figures are not of aston- 
ishing magnitude when compared with those of many of the in- 
dustries of the country, they indicate, nevertheless, a gratifying 
volume of business, and when compared with the returns from 
the other fisheries they show the oyster industry to be of more 
importance than any. 
I learn from Professor Goode’s paper read at one of the con- 
ferences held in connection with the late London Exhibition, 
that the entire fishing interest of the country employs 131,426 
persons and nearly $38,000,000 of capital, and produces $43,000,- 
ooo of products. Thus it is seen that the oyster industry em- 
ploys nearly one-third of the persons, more than one-fourth of 
the capital, and produces over one-third of the income. Its 
product is about six times as great as that of the whale, seal, or 
menhaden fisheries, and considerably more than one-half of the 
product of all the other fisheries put together. Surely such an 
industry is well worth care and preservation. The question is, 
what degree of care does it receive; is its preservation in any 
way endangered? 
The subject is of considerable moment, but that I need not 
impress upon you. Its full discussion would occupy more time 
than either you or I have just nowto spare for it. I shall, 
therefore, only touch upon a few of the more important points, 
and salient features. 
Oysters are found along the whole coast of the United States 
from Maine to the Rio Grande, and a species also exists on the 
north-west coast. But notwithstanding this wide distribu- 
tion, pointing out the possibilities of the future, the greater part 
of the fishery and business is confined to the Chesapeake region; 
that is, to the States of Maryland and Virginia. 
Of the 53,000 persons employed, nearly 40,000 belong to those 
States; and of the $10,500,000 of capital, over $7,000,000 is credit- 
ed to them, while of the 22,000,000 bushels of oysters, more than 
17,000,000 come from Chesapeake bay and its tributaries. 
That is four-fifths of the laborers, seven-tenths of the capital, 
and considerably more than three-fourths of the product should 
properly be assigned to the Chesapeake region. Evidently, then, 
any consideration of the oyster industry must be to a great ex- 
