OYSTER FISHERY LEGISLATION. 963 



Smacks of from 20 to 30 tons will catch, in a week (at 

 the beginning of the season) 40 tubs of oysters. The 

 smacks generally remain while they can work or catch 

 nearly this quantity, and their stay may be calculated, on 

 an average, to be four weeks. A little reflection will show 

 that in this short period they do all the mischief which is 

 so highly detrimental to the welfare of the harbour fisher- 

 men and the rights of the surrounding neighbourhood. 



A tub of oysters contains 2 bushels. 



An oyster bushel is a basket holding 9 to 10 gallons, 

 heap measure. 



The smacks catch and take away oysters 2 inches 

 wide, and also many thousands of much less size, including 

 the brood, cultch, &c. 



A bushel basket, filled with oysters 2 inches wide, will 

 contain 1000 oysters of this description. 



A 2-inch wide oyster will weigh. ... i oz. gross. 



Shell without the fish 

 The fish will weiirh 



oz. 

 oz. 



40 tubs are 80 bushels, i bushel contains 1000 oysters. 

 80 X 1,000 



80,000 



4 



16) 20,000 



112) 1,250 (n cwt. 18 Ib. of food. 

 130 

 18 



If these oysters had been left in their native beds to 

 attain maturity, they would measure, at 3 years old, each 



4 inches wide. 



FF 2 



