OYSTERS. 2291

board in the performance of the duties imposed upon it by this sub-title,
and the deputy commander in each of the several districts of this State
shall also be subject to the control and direction of the said commissioners
during the closed season for taking and catching oysters with rakes and
tongs during the time the said commissioners shall be engaged in the re-
spective districts in locating natural oyster beds, bars and rocks, and shall
give the said commissioners every assistance in their power.
As to the state fishery force, see sec. 36, et seq.

An. Code, sec. 100. 1906, ch. 711, sec. 98. 1912, ch. 539, sec. 98. 1914, ch. 265, sec. 98.

116. After the survey or resurvey provided for herein shall have been
completed, it shall be the duty of the Board of Shell Fish Commissioners
to lease, in the name of the State of Maryland, tracts or parcels of land
beneath the waters of this State, whether within the limits of the Coun-
ties or elsewhere, in the area to be opened for oyster culture, according
to the provisions of this sub-title; provided that no tract so leased, if situ-
ated within the territorial limits of any County in this State, shall con-
tain less than one acre of land, and if situated in any other place, no tract
so leased shall contain less than five acres. It shall be the duty of said
Board to require that the tracts so leased shall be as nearly rectangular as
is convenient. It shall be the duty of the said Board to demand from each
lessee payment of the rent each year in advance. No person shall be per-
mitted, by lease, assignment or in any other manner, to acquire a greater
amount of land than thirty acres situated within the territorial limits
of any of the Counties, or five hundred acres in any other place; provided,
however, that an individual may acquire a tract not exceeding one hun-
dred acres of land beneath the waters of Tangier Sound. Leases of such
lands shall be made only to residents of Maryland. The term of such
leases shall be twenty years, and the annual rent reserved to the State shall
be one dollar per acre for each of the first two years of said term of twenty
years; two dollars per acre for the third year; three dollars per acre for
the fourth year; four dollars per acre for the fifth year and five dollars
per acre during the remainder of the term. On and after April 1st, 1913,
the Board of Shell Fish Commissioners may lease at a rental price which,
in their judgment, is a proper one and commensurate with the value of
the land so leased, any land subject to the provisions of this sub-title
which has not been applied for or leased up to that time; provided, how-
ever, that no land shall be leased at a less price than twenty-five cents
(25c.) per acre, and the land so leased under this provisions1 shall be
subject to all other provisions of this sub-title. If any part of the rent re-
served under such leases shall remain unpaid for more than sixty days
after the same becomes due, such lease or leases may at the option of said
Board be declared void, and in that event the land shall revert to the
State and may be leased again in accordance with the provisions of this
sub-title. The said Board may, at the request of any lessee, if it shall
appear equitable so to do, upon cause shown in writing, cancel his lease
as to the whole or a part of the lands leased. The Board of Shell Fish Com-

1 This line is just is it appears in the act.