THE OYSTER INDUSTRY OF MARYLAND 
257 
regions dates back to 1830, yet the bedding of oysters has never been vigorously or 
extensively conducted there, and what has been done was on an experimental rather 
than an industrial scale. 
In Fishing Bay, on the southern shore of Dorchester County, the bedding has been 
of noticeable extent since 1871. The seed oysters, which are obtained from Tangier 
Sound and tributaries, cost from 10 to 20 cents per bushel and are permitted to remain 
one or two years. There is much complaint, however, that the risks from loss by 
unauthorized removal are very great, and there is little doubt that this practice has 
been of extreme detriment to an extension of the business. 
Preemptions were made in Somerset County as early as 1830, and occasionally 
oysters would be bedded on the areas located, but usually for only a few weeks. From 
1870 to 1875 a number of persons were sufficiently interested in the subject of oyster - 
planting to attempt to make more extensive use of their lots, but little resulted from 
it. In 1884 and 1885 the subject was again revived in this county, and scores of lots 
were located. Those persons making use of their reservations planted the small oysters 
of Tangier Sound, costing, delivered on the beds, 10 or 15 cents per bushel, the size of 
the oysters ranging from that of a twenty- five-cent piece up to a silver dollar, but, being 
the “run of the rock,” were mixed with considerable shells and d6bris. Col. T. S. 
Hodson, of Maryland, has furnished the following data in reference to these operations : 
By October 1, 1885, the small oysters bedded in March of that year had become 
sufficiently large for shucking purposes, ranking as “straight-up^,” with from one- 
fourth to one-third “selects” among them, worth 30 cents per bushel on the ground, 
while the quantity had increased threefold. Could they have remained another year, 
so as to acquire their full size, the profits to those who had planted them would have 
been very great. But an organization had been formed which determined to put an 
end to this new source of labor and profit. Some persons went in a body upon John 
H. Whealton’s bed and began to take the oysters, but he opened on them with a shot- 
gun, and the attempt soon ended. They took a few of the oysters bedded by James 
C. Nelson, who begged them to desist, which they soon did. A suit was instituted 
to vacate a certain lot as a natural oyster bed, on the ground that wherever scatter- 
ing oysters could be found it was a natural bed. The court, however, found that 
there were less than 100 bushels on the 5 acres, and dismissed the suit. 
As a consequence to the hostility thus exhibited, the planters determined to 
immediately realize on the oysters they had bedded, instead of waiting for a larger 
profit during the second season. They therefore hired men to take them up, paying 
10 cents per bushel therefor, thus employing much labor that would otherwise have 
been idle. Some of the planters did very well. Mr. Green took up 1,700 bushels in 
December, and sold them for 62 cents per bushel. Mr. James C. Nelson and Mr. R. 
N. Horsey, using a portion of 10 acres in Pocomoke Sound, have furnished the follow- 
ing statement of financial operations on that area in 1885-86 : 
Amount paid for 5,500 bushels seed oysters planted March, 1885, at 10 cents 
per bushei delivered $550. 00 
Paid for taking up and marketing oysters in 1885-86 630. 00 
Total 1, 180. 00 
Received from oysters sold in December, 1885 1 , 403. 50 
Received from oysters sold in spring, 1886 277. 00 
Total 1,680.50 
Profit in 12 months=$500. 50. 
F. C. B. 1892—17 
