ARTIFICIAL OYSTER CULTURE. 1055 



IN London, on the 4th of May, 1876, Mr. Blake, the 

 inspector of fisheries, made, before the Commission for the 

 investigation of the oyster-fisheries, the astounding state- 

 ment that every oyster grown by means of artifical culture 

 near Reculvers, at the mouth of the Thames, cost ^50 

 sterling; that everyone grown in Herne Bay cost ^100 ; 

 and in a third place about ^500 ; and that he was prepared 

 to furnish several other examples of a like character. Mr. 

 Blake, who is very well acquainted, from personal observa- 

 tion, with French and English oyster-culture, considers 

 artificial oyster-breeding, according to the French method, 

 impossible along the British coast, on account of the unfa- 

 vourable character of the climate. " The Oyster and 

 Oystsr Culture," by Mobius. 



1st Player : I hope we have reformed that indifferently with us, sir. 

 < Hamlet : O, reform it altogether. Shakespeare. 



At the risk of being accused of repetition, I begin this 

 chapter with the hope of fulfilling a purpose, the practical 

 outcome of which must alone exonerate me from ail 

 probable blame. 



In bringing this book and its subject before the British 

 Public, I have been considerably swayed by the desire to 

 give an impetus to the artificial cultivation of the oyster in 

 England, on the French or American system, so far as that 

 of either can be accommodatingly followed. And I believe 

 that the experimental trial of such an undertaking, under 

 the oyster legislative policy hitherto pursued by our 

 Government, cannot possibly have a successful issue until 

 the enormous expense incurred by such a mercantile ven- 

 ture is lowered to the highly beneficial and prosperous 

 standard of one or other of those nations. 



To say nothing of my own few and scattered opinions 

 throughout these pages, I believe that those of other and 



