698 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



March i to October i . Still it was generally accepted that 

 notwithstanding these measures the bed gradually became 

 impoverished. 



About the same time that it was decided upon to no 

 longer allow public fishing on these beds, but to give them 

 into the hands of oyster-culturists, another important 

 change has been effected in the geographical situation of 

 the oyster-beds. A railway-dam had been constructed 

 across the eastern arm of the Schelde where it was 

 narrowest, and this practically changed the nature of its 

 waters. It now became, as you will see from this map, a 

 deep inland bay, instead of being one of the arms of the 

 Schelde delta, through which part of the fresh water from 

 this river could flow towards the German Ocean. This 

 change has of course effected the salinity of the water, and 

 it may be safely inferred that this has not remained without 

 influence on the oyster-beds of the eastern Schelde and their 

 productivity. 



The first impulse towards prohibiting public fishing on 

 the so-called Yerseke oyster-bed was given by private 

 gentlemen, who in 1867 had visited the Arcachon oyster 

 regions and who applied to government for aid towards an 

 investigation of the condition of the Yerseke-bed. The 

 result was that in 1870 and 1872 Government, or rather the 

 Minister of the Finances under whose control are also the 

 fishing waters of the country, withdrew the Yerseke 

 oyster-bed from public fishery and leased it for purposes of 

 oyster-culture to private individuals, after having divided it 

 into plots varying in size from 12 to about 150 acres. The 

 rent was to be paid yearly, and the time up to which it 

 might be retained for the same rent was 1 5 years, facilities 

 being offered to those who wished to give back their 

 allotted plots before the expiration of the 1 5 years' term. 



