143 
than 40 per cent, should be removed each year, bnt, in my 
opinion, in order to maintain the oysters at a constant num- 
ber in the above case, no more than 25 per cent, should be ta- 
ken, as the one oyster in four would be replaced each year. No- 
comparison between the Schleswig-Holstein beds and those on 
our coast can well be instituted, as the beds in the Tangier 
and Pocomoke Sounds are of greater extent, and as the more 
extensive the bed the greater the breeding power, I should 
consider that until the annual number of mature oysters 
produced is known, it would be safer to take about 50 per 
cent, from the beds, supposing them to be in good condition. 
That is but an estimate, and may be an erroneous one, but 
certainly it is not too small, and it now remains to be seen 
what number of oysters are actually removed from the beds. 
I regret that statistics of the oyster trades in the Sounds are 
not at hand for reference, and also that the pressure of other 
work while I was in that locality prevented me from obtain- 
ing them. Such observations as I was able to make, however, 
will furnish a basis for a somewhat rude estimate of the num- 
ber of oysters and young taken off the beds during the sea- 
son. While in Crisfield harbor, about the 11th October, there 
were counted fifty-seven sail oyster dredges, and the number 
of bushels carried by them estimated, and the estimate veri- 
fied by the subsequent statements of the masters of the sev- 
eral vessels in each class. The following table shows the re- 
sult : 
TABLE I. 
Class. 
Number. 
1 
'o . j 
6 ™ 
Average No. 
of Bushels. 
Class of Vessel. 
Number. 
No. of Bush- 
els. 
Average to 
sail. 
Schooners 
37 
2075 
56 
Buckeyes 
4 
45 
11 
Sloops 
12 
256 
21 
Canoes 
4 
32 
8 
Total 
2331 
Total 
77 
77 
* 
Grand Total. . . 
2408 
