FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSIONER. 295 



oysters that have been planted and cultivated at least three months in the 

 waters of Great South Bay. It is said that upwards of seven hundred and 

 fifty thousand dollars ($750,000) worth of oysters in the shell, and one hun- 

 dred thousand dollars ($100,000) worth of opened or shucked oysters are 

 annually shipped from this portion of the bay. It has been the custom of 

 the representatives of the Smith heirs to lease the lands under water, in their 

 domain, to shellfish planters, and many of these leases have still more than 

 one year to run. The lands are used by the large planter possessing all 

 the requisite equipment for work upon an extensive scale as well as by 

 the poor bayman depending upon the labor of his own hands. All planters 

 are equally apprehensive that the sale of this large section of the bay por- 

 tends the formation of an oyster trust with an incidental control of the 

 product and of prices, and are anxiously watching for the development of 

 the threatened innovation. 



The cry of " Oyster Trust " has been raised many times during the last 

 few years, but the genuine spectre has not yet arisen, it being a somewhat 

 difficult, though perhaps not impossible, matter to control the plentiful 

 growth of oysters occurring all along our Atlantic shores from Maine to 

 Florida as well as in the Gulf and upon the Pacific coast. 



3. Lands in Other Bays. Through the Attorney-General we learn 

 that jurisdiction is in the State, of the lands under water in Hempstead 

 harbor, in Cold Spring harbor within the town of Huntington and in Man- 

 hasset bay. Each of these bays is favorable for the cultivation of oysters 

 and promises to constitute valuable additions to the localities available 

 through this bureau, for shellfish cultivation. 



There is approximately one thousand square miles, or six hundred and 

 forty thousand (640,000) acres of lands under water in this State in sounds, 

 harbors and bays where shellfish are grown. We do not mean to say that 

 every acre included is suitable for cultivation, but it is true that in every 

 locality fine shellfish lands may be selected and utilized. 



Lobsters 



The lobster fisheries of this State, in so far as they have been utilized by 



our own citizens, are relatively small. It is well understood that there has 



been a general and progressive diminution in the number of lobsters caught 

 26 



