ARTIFICIAL OYSTER CULTURE. 1079 



" that it is the low temperature of the water in winter, and 

 the violence of the waves during high spring-tides, in- 

 creased by tempests which oppose themselves to oyster 

 culture after the French method," and thinks that " the 

 oyster production of the German waters cannot be aug- 

 mented by culture ; but that this can be effected in the first 

 place by keeping a sufficient stock of full-grown oysters on 

 the existing oyster-beds, and in the second place by 

 ameliorating and enlarging the places fit for the fixing of 

 the oyster spat." 



But still further to confirm my argument, I quote 

 from the "Discussion' 1 following Professor Hubrecht's 

 " Oyster Culture and Oyster Fisheries in the Netherlands," 

 already quoted from in chapter 30. 



Mr. Fell Woods said when the somewhat imperfect 

 report of Professor Huxley's address at the Royal Institu- 

 tion was published he was impressed with some fear 

 whether henceforth Professor Huxley must not be classed 

 amongst the enemies of the oyster ; but the inaugural 

 address he had since delivered to this Conference some- 

 what re-assured him, because he had indicated plainly that 

 there was a possibility that certain restrictions on oyster- 

 dredging might produce some valuable results ... It 

 was true, of course, that if a large amount of dredging 

 went on during the other periods of the year the effect of 

 the close time during the spatting period could not be so 

 great as it otherwise would be ; but in proportion as any 

 oysters were left on the ground owing to the restrictions 

 of close time so must the probability of an increase in the 

 oysters be favoured. . . . Another matter which was 

 constantly urged was the question of granting what were 

 called "several" fisheries the allotment of certain grounds 

 to private parties, who undertook the custody and working 



