I 102 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



The following Paper on the subject of "Oyster Cul- 

 ture" was recently read at a meeting of the Irish Industrial 

 League, Dublin : 



" Oyster culture is a subject to which I have given a great 

 deal of attention, and, from practical experience, believe it 

 to be a natural Irish industry, capable of enormous develop- 

 ment, with adequate profits, and giving employment to the 

 coast population during the winter time of year, when it is 

 much wanted. 



" It is an undoubted fact that within living memory 

 oysters of the finest quality were grown in Sligo, Bally- 

 sodare, and other bays. In Ballysodare there are solid 

 masses of shells, loft, thick, remains of ancient beds, in my 

 opinion unique of their kind, but their age is unknown. The 

 same food that fattened these enormous quantities is still 

 in the waters, unutilised, as I can show by oysters in exist- 

 ence growing on my beds. 



" At the commencement of this century, and up to the 

 advent of railways, oysters were so plentiful in Sligo that 

 the market price was 2S. 6d. per 120, and the supply seemed 

 inexhaustible, being subject to the local demand only. 

 Oysters used to be purchased in Belmullet, for fattening in 

 Ballysodare Bay, at 45. 2d. per 1000, the selling price being 

 2os. lod. The advent of railways put an end to this state of 

 things, as they brought London, Manchester, and all the 

 large towns of England, as well as Paris and the Continent, 

 into direct contact with our beds, and even Arcachon was 

 partly stocked from here. The quality of the oysters was such 

 that the demand became unlimited ; the titles to the beds 

 were not as well defined as now, and they were dredged by 

 the public, 100 to 200 boats working at one time, the result 

 being the beds became exhausted, and have remained so up 

 to now, that is of 'fat oysters,' quite equal to the ' Whit- 



