1044 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



the hide, and the dredge is recovered capsized, a few oysters 

 or culch only remaining in the lower end. 



French fishermen do not appear to use this contrivance, 

 and they therefore dread working where English dredger- 

 men can work with impunity. 



Large dredging cutters can work six dredges at a time, 

 three forward and three aft, on the side of the boat, the 

 weights gradually diminishing from forward aft that is, 

 the dredge worked nearest the stern should be the lightest, 

 say 45lbs., the next 5olbs., the next 55lbs., next 6olbs., the 

 next 65lbs., and the one nearest the bow yolbs. The 

 reason of this is obviously that they should all dredge in 

 diverging lines, the foremost dredge, having the least rope, 

 is the most perpendicular, and therefore requires to be the 

 heaviest. 



This plan prevents the dredges from dragging together. 

 If the dredges "jump," they require more rope ; the men 

 occasionally feel the rope ; if " working " well, they can feel 

 the dredge scraping smoothly along, the only irregularities 

 being caused by those of the bottom itself. 



The direction of the wind makes a very great difference 

 to the " catch" of the boats. 



Where the oysters lie in streams in the direction of 

 the tidal currents, as is generally the case on deep-sea beds 

 and banks, the wind is most favourable when it is at right 

 angles to the stream of oysters ; the boats then lay to, and 

 drift with the tide. If the wind is blowing parallel to the 

 stream of oysters, the boats can only dredge across them, 

 and the difference in the result is very great. A boat will 

 get 1000 oysters in an hour in one case, and will be lucky 

 to get 200 an hour in the other. 



Steam Dredgers. We have not entered into the question 

 of steam dredgers. We do not think they will pay their 



