I 244 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



A sumptuary law restricting the consumption of 

 oysters, per head, is not practicable in these days ; and 

 therefore, the first cause of dearness, great demand, must 

 be left to cure itself by the increase of price to which it 



gives rise. 



Nor is the second cause of scarcity within reach of 

 legislation. The seasons cannot be rendered favourable 



O 



to oyster spatting by Act of Parliament. 



But it is very generally believed, that the enforcement 

 of what is called a "close time' : is an effectual remedy 

 for over-dredging. Oyster "close time" means that 

 oysters shall not be taken during the months of May, 

 June, July, and August, which are supposed, not quite 

 accurately, to cover the breeding season of the shell-fish. 



But surely nothing is more obvious than this, that the 

 prohibition of taking the oysters from an oyster bed during 

 four months of the year is not the slightest security against 

 its being stripped clean (if such a thing be possible) during 

 the other eight months. Supposing that, in a country 

 infested by wolves, you have a flock of sheep, keeping the 

 wolves off during the lambing season will not afford much 

 protection if you withdraw shepherd and dogs during the 

 rest of the year. 



These considerations are so obvious, that I cannot but 

 think that the cry for close time for oysters must be based 

 on a confused notion that, as close time is good for 

 salmon, so it must be good for oysters. But there is really 

 no analogy between the two things which here pass under 

 the name of " close time." Close time for oysters is 

 merely protection of oysters during the breeding season ; 

 close time for salmon is not merely protection of salmon 

 during the breeding season, it means a practical limitation 

 of the capture of salmon all the year round by the weekly 



