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  mussel, 
  the 
  clam, 
  and 
  the 
  oyster, 
  the 
  colonies 
  or 
  beds 
  may 
  

   be 
  practically 
  exterminated, 
  exactly 
  as 
  a 
  forest 
  may 
  be 
  

   cut 
  down. 
  The 
  destruction 
  of 
  the 
  oyster-beds 
  of 
  Pocomoke 
  

   Sound, 
  in 
  Maryland, 
  a 
  large 
  estuary, 
  formerly 
  very 
  pro- 
  

   ductive, 
  is 
  an 
  example 
  — 
  the 
  destruction 
  being 
  due 
  more 
  

   directly 
  to 
  the 
  choking 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  by 
  the 
  rubbish 
  raked 
  

   over 
  them 
  by 
  the 
  dredges, 
  and 
  the 
  destruction 
  of 
  the 
  ledges 
  

   suitable 
  for 
  the 
  reception 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  spat, 
  than 
  to 
  the 
  

   removal 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  adult 
  oysters, 
  which 
  was, 
  of 
  course, 
  never 
  

   effected. 
  

  

  The 
  preservation 
  of 
  the 
  oyster-beds 
  is 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  vital 
  

   importance 
  to 
  the 
  United 
  States, 
  for 
  oyster-fishing, 
  un- 
  

   supported 
  by 
  oyster-culture, 
  will, 
  within 
  a 
  short 
  period, 
  

   destroy 
  the 
  employment 
  of 
  tens 
  of 
  thousands 
  and 
  the 
  

   cheap 
  and 
  favourite 
  food 
  of 
  tens 
  of 
  millions 
  of 
  our 
  people. 
  

  

  Something 
  may 
  be 
  effected 
  by 
  laws 
  which 
  allow 
  each 
  

   bed 
  to 
  rest 
  for 
  a 
  period 
  of 
  years 
  after 
  each 
  season 
  of 
  fishing 
  

   upon 
  it. 
  It 
  is 
  the 
  general 
  belief, 
  however, 
  that 
  shell-fish- 
  

   beds 
  must 
  be 
  cultivated 
  as 
  carefully 
  as 
  garden-beds, 
  and 
  

   that 
  this 
  can 
  only 
  be 
  done 
  by 
  leasing 
  them 
  to 
  individuals. 
  

   This 
  is 
  already 
  the 
  practice 
  in 
  the 
  Northern 
  States, 
  where 
  

   oysters 
  are 
  planted 
  in 
  new 
  localities 
  ; 
  there 
  is 
  difficulty 
  

   however, 
  in 
  carrying 
  out 
  this 
  policy 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  natural 
  

   beds, 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  fishermen 
  have 
  had 
  continued 
  access 
  

   for 
  centuries. 
  It 
  is 
  probable 
  that 
  the 
  present 
  unregulated 
  

   methods 
  will 
  prevail 
  until 
  the 
  dredging 
  of 
  the 
  natural 
  

   beds 
  come 
  to 
  be 
  remunerative, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  oyster 
  industry 
  

   will 
  then 
  be 
  transferred 
  from 
  the 
  improvident 
  fishermen 
  

   to 
  the 
  care-taking 
  oyster-culturists, 
  with 
  a 
  corresponding 
  

   increase 
  in 
  price 
  and 
  decrease 
  in 
  consumption. 
  

  

  4. 
  Fishes 
  in 
  ponds, 
  lakes 
  or 
  streams 
  are 
  quickly 
  ex- 
  

   terminated 
  unless 
  the 
  young 
  fish 
  are 
  protected, 
  the 
  spawn- 
  

   ing 
  season 
  is 
  undisturbed, 
  and 
  wholesale 
  methods 
  of 
  capture 
  

  

  