1 01 6 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



Experience at Arcachon, Auray and Vannes, supports 

 this : there the number of young oysters found on the 

 collectors is always found to correspond to the quantity of 

 old ones on the public reserves and in the neighbourhood. 



Further, when the writer of this was dredging off Can- 

 cale last year, he found that on the beds which have lately 

 become productive again, the proportion of young oysters 

 (i.e. oysters under three years old) to old was as ten is to one, 

 the result of two dredges full being 251 young and 25 old. 



The small bed of oysters discovered in 1870 in the 

 Queen's Channel on the Whitstable Flats, which was 

 destroyed in so short a time, afforded the same testimony to 

 the rate of increase of oysters when left undisturbed. 



The great success of the breeding establishments at 

 Auray and Arcachon may be said to be due almost entirely 

 to the determination of the authorities to keep up an 

 abundant stock of oysters of all sizes, as shown by the 

 limited time allowed for public fishing. During the last eight 

 years only seven hours have been allowed in the Bay of 

 Arcachon ; on the Cancale grounds public dredging is only 

 allowed for six days during the year. Whether due to 



j o j 



restricted dredging or not, there is no doubt that reproduc- 

 tiveness has been restored to these beds. 



Private owners and companies very naturally object to 

 any restrictions being placed on dredging on their own 

 grounds or on public grounds. It is not at all likely that 

 in their own interests they will allow over-dredging on 

 their own grounds, whilst they would be only too pleased 

 to be allowed to dredge as much as possible on the grounds 

 of the public. An increase in the number of advocates 

 against any restrictions being placed on the few public 

 grounds that are left is the natural outcome of the policy 

 of granting concessions of public grounds to companies, of 



