THE OYSTER INDUSTRY OF MARYLAND. 
283 
The present license system became operative in 1884, and the annual receipts and 
disbursements since then have been as shown in the following tabular statement : 
Virginia oyster fund. 
Fiscal year. 
Receipts. 
Disburse- 
ments. 
1884 
$919. 93 
$18, 907. 97 
1885 
26, 476. 93 
27, 025. 66 
1886 
22, 949. 89 
22, 574. 25 
1887 
13, 329. 21 
13, 755. 89 
16, 712. 35 
1888 
18, 922. 82 
1889 
12, 455. 56 
17, 190. 94 
1890 
12, 817. 53 
19, 561. 73 
1891 
14, 114. 83 
21, 683. 92 
Total 
116, 819. 77 
162, 579. 64 
These figures include a small revenue from taxing the private planting-grounds ; 
this, however, is so small that for the purposes of the present discussion they may be 
considered as representing only the revenue from the public reefs. 
In Louisiana, the remaining State which provides for taxing public-reef oyster- 
men, tonging is the only form of oystering permitted, and the license system regulat- 
ing it is based on that of Virginia, even to the adoption of the complicated system 
which the latter State provided in order to avoid conflict with its constitution. The 
fee in Louisiana is at the rate of 50 cents annually for each boat employed, and an ad- 
ditional 50 cents every three months for each man engaged. Difficulty, however, has 
been experienced in collecting the revenue and the regulation is practically inoperative. 
An approximation, for the last year for which data are at hand, of the product of 
the natural or public oyster reefs of each of the United States and the license receipts 
therefrom is contained in the following table: 
Product of public oyster reefs and State revenue therefrom. 
State. 
Public oyster reefs. 
Revenue. 
Year. 
Massachusetts 
Bushels. 
25, 000 
Value. 
$15, 000 
Rhode Island 
16, 865 
1892 
Connecticut 
211,090 
68,’ 589 
1892 
New York 
810, 629 
485, 730 
1891 
Neiy Jersey 
1, 300, 000 
400, 000 
$5, 200 
1892 
Delaware 
205. 272 
51, 872 
940 
1892 
Virginia 
5, 690, 700 
2, 290, 850 
14, 115 
1891 
North Carolina 
807, 260 
175, 567 
1890 
South Carolina 
63, 150 
23, 204 
1890 
Georgia 
224, 357 
40, 520 
1890 
Florida 
468, 431 
108, 542 
1890 
Alabama 
481, 070 
107, 812 
1890 
Mississippi 
806, 478 
166, 672 
1890 
Louisiana 
820, 000 
260, 000 
1890 
Texas 
440, 800 
127, 990 
1890 
Washington 
142. 730 
127, 000 
1892 
Oregon 
2,500 
3, 125 
1892 
Total ... 
12, 516, 332 
4, 460, 331 
20, 255 
Maryland 
10, 142, 500 
5, 500, 000 
90, 469 
1893 
Of the Maryland revenue, all of the dredging fees have been paid into the State 
treasury and the greater portion of the tonging and scraping fees into the treasuries 
