OYSTER CULTURE IN ENGLAND. 417 



summer held it on lease from him. The information which 

 I gathered from them appeared to me to render any 

 inspection of the ground unnecessary. 



The Earl of Moray appears to have applied for the 

 Order with objects wholly foreign to the preservation or 

 cultivation of oysters. On obtaining it he let the ground to 

 Mr. Anderson, fishmonger, of Edinburgh, who took it with 

 the view of being able to protect other oyster grounds also 

 rented by him, and adjoining the Donisbristle Fishery on 

 the south. When the Order was granted a few old oysters 

 existed at two spots within the fishery, but according to 

 Mr. Anderson the ground was not one which would have 

 repaid cultivation, and he never intended to cultivate it. 

 About 10,000 oysters were laid down in 1872, but nothing 

 else appears to have been done to it at any time. It 

 remained unfished on the one hand, but on the other it was 

 never cleaned, and indeed was not touched up to the time 

 when Mr. Anderson, on giving up his tenancy of the adjoin- 

 ing fishery, gave up that of Donisbristle also, because it was 

 no longer of use to him. 



Since then the Earl of Moray has taken no measures 

 to secure another tenant, or to cultivate the ground himself; 

 and I am informed by his agents that he is indifferent as 

 to letting it, and that he will not personally undertake its 

 cultivation. I have therefore to report that the Earl of 

 Moray has not properly cultivated the fishery established 

 under the Order granted to him, and that I do not see a 

 reasonable probability of proper cultivation being effected. 



I am, &c., 

 (Signed) W. E. HALL. 



The Assistant Secretary, 



Harbour Department, Board of Trade. 



o 



