1074 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



single breeding station were the expectations of a great 

 yield of marketable oysters ever realized. (/) 



Having thus far advanced my theory for the adoption 

 of the French or American systems of Oyster Culture in 

 England, I fear some friendly opponent may, banteringly, 

 attempt to check the ardour of my hopes in such 



" A consummation devoutly to be wished," 



by quoting the above extract from Mobius point blank 

 against its practicability. In other words it being pre- 

 sumed that I look upon the work of the great German 

 Biologist as, pre-eminently, the " Guide, Philosopher, and 

 Friend " of my ostracultural knowledge, faith, and opinions 

 I will be accused of self-contradiction, and (still harping 

 on my opponent) over-zealous in attack, he twits me fur- 

 ther with a quotation from some bygone newspaper, to the 

 effect that the late Frank Buckland " In comparing the 



(/) " The Oyster and Oyster Culture," p. 20. 



Attention in England was first drawn to the subject in 1865, by a 

 magazine article describing M. Coste's experiments on the French 

 coast, and the original attempts to imitate them were made at Hayling 

 Island by Mr. G. F. Hart, to whose intelligence and enterprise must 

 be attributed whatever measure of success has been attained in Langs- 

 ton Harbour. After visiting the French beds, and being convinced 

 that one of the great causes of failure of many of the experiments was 

 the exposed situation selected, he proceeded to apply the same system 

 to the quiet waters surrounding Hayling Island. The results were at 

 first very satisfactory, over 128,000,000 of oysters being deposited on 

 the 10,000 hurdles placed in the old salterns as collectors. The 

 breeding establishment is still kept up, though the result originally 

 expected has not been attained. 



Nurseries have also been tried at Herne Bay, Reculvers, Brading, 

 Newport, Lymington, and at Nacton ; but the use of collectors as 

 employed in France does not seem to have taken root in England, and 

 most cultivators seem to depend mainly upon their culch for catching 

 the spat. Anson Willett's " Oyster Culture," p. 48. 



