114 ELEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



a mass of records of great and permanent value to the State and to the 

 shellfish planters. 



Surveying upon the water for the purposes of these grants is very 

 different from ordinary land surveying. The work is done by triangulation, 

 the United States Coast Survey signals being used as bases whenever possible. 

 It has been found necessary, however, to have erected by the State many 

 intermediate signals, or monuments, and the State, consequently, has 

 established lines of signals covering two hundred miles of coast. 



State Control. 



It is no secret that the natural shellfish lands under the public waters 

 of the State have been scraped and raked into a condition of almost entire 

 depletion, until very few traces can be found of beds which could, under 

 the statutory definition, be said to be of natural growth. This disap- 

 pearance of natural growth shellfish is not strange or wonderful, for it must 

 be remembered that men, while giving nothing back and doing nothing 

 to destroy the enemies of the shellfish, have raked entire bays and arms of 

 the sea bare of their product, thus destroying the balance of nature by use 

 of the most radical means for the annihilation of the oysters and clams. 



Natural forces are no doubt sufficient to conserve and even guarantee 

 natural conditions, but when to the attacks of starfish, borer, periwinkle 

 and other enemies of the shellfish are added the sweeping raids of the 

 allconsuming fisherman, there is certainly little left for the mollusk 

 but extinction. 



Natural Growth. 



The statute defines natural growth lands, or, to be more exact, defines 

 lands which are not natural growth to be, lands which " have for five years 

 failed to produce natural oysters in sufficient quantities to enable persons 

 engaged in the planting and cultivation thereof to earn a livelihood by 

 working on such lands." 



There are few localities in the State where natural oysters can now be 

 found in quantities sufficient to enable one engaged in working them to 

 make a living even for the short term during which such beds may be 

 workable. The word livelihood in this connection has not been construed 

 or judicially defined. If it means an annual support or maintenance, 



