ARTIFICIAL OYSTER CULTURE. 1089 



either to some distant point of the coast, or out to sea ; 

 but what happened in the Scheldt was somewhat different, 

 and had been investigated very carefully. Each tide taking 

 about six hours to ebb or flow, a floating object which also 

 registered the deeper under-currents at least approxi- 

 mately and which w r as set afloat above the oyster beds, 

 had been carefully noticed at the beginning of the ebb. 

 It of course went seawards ; but it had not yet reached the 

 ocean when the ebb was exhausted, and it was brought 



O 



back again by the flood tide. It was greatly to this oscil- 

 lating movement of a large bulk of water, which did not 

 allow of the spat being so easily carried out to sea, that in 

 his opinion must be ascribed the fertility of this region as 

 an oyster producing locality. He feared that if the arrange, 

 ment contemplated were carried out, and they were going 

 to--have oyster beds established in the Zuyderzee, they 

 would have greater difficulties to contend with, similar to 

 those from which England and France were suffering, and 

 tiiey would have to look out carefully for some spot which 

 in that respect more nearly resembled the situation of the 

 Scheldt. As to whether the artificial oyster-culture had 

 been a success, he could not deal with that point at length, 

 Count Bylandt having already referred to the figures. In 

 addition, he might say that whereas in 1870 the neighbour- 

 hood of these beds only consisted of very poor hamlets, at 

 present they were most flourishing villages, and some of 

 the old lessees who had from 1870 to 1885 held allotments 

 there had re-invested their money in the new leases begin- 

 ning in 1885. Fancy prices might have been given in 

 individual cases, but on the whole the increase from 

 ^1,700 to ,28,000 as yearly rent for the same 8000 acres 

 was perfectly genuine. With regard to the observation 

 made by the Chairman as to the disappearance of the spat, 



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