I 1 94 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



from the sublime to the ridiculous, it has often in the past 

 been the fate of the devotees of science to suffer martyrdom, 

 or, in more recent periods, to be punished with cold neg- 

 lect, or, as Pope has it, be 



" Damned with faint praise." 



This, on the surface, may appear to be a sweeping asser- 

 tion, but, given a moment's reflection, it will be found, 

 alas ! but too true with respect to our men of science, who, 

 for years past, have unavailingly urged upon the Govern- 

 ment a State Legislation for oyster culture, and upon 

 private companies the adoption of the best foreign system, 

 or at least a better one than that at present so discredit- 

 able to our commercial fame, and detrimental to the public 

 good. 



However, in some slightly improving degree for the 

 success of future prospects, it is fortunate that for the last 

 decade or two men of science have become more popular, 

 and a better and more beneficial understanding has existed 

 between them and the public, but by no means so far as 

 oyster culture is concerned anything approaching the 

 harmony existent between the same in other countries. 



I need not recapitulate the causes of this deplorable 

 fact, of which, indeed, the reader has had ample illustra- 

 tion in other chapters of this volume ; but I venture 

 respectfully to add that I think the British public are not 

 altogether exempt from blame in this matter, for I feel 

 assured that, were the public but a little more determined, 

 the Government would soon yield to the pressure brought 

 to bear upon this desideratum, and be tempted to aid in 

 cheapening a universally esteemed and valuable food pro- 

 duct by the extension of the cultivable foreshores and areas 

 adapted to its growth, with all the assistance thereunto in 

 its power. 



