OYSTER CULTURE IN ENGLAND. 423 



The Mid Forth Order being useless, and offering no 

 prospect of usefulness in the future, I recommend that it 

 shall be determined. 



I have, &c., 

 (Signed) W. E. HALL. 



The Assistant Secretary, 

 Harbour Department, Board of Trade. 



GRESHERNISH FISHERY ORDER. 

 20, Onsloiu Gardens, ^bth December, 1876. 







Sir, I have the honour to inform you that, in accord- 

 ance with your instructions, dated the ist November, I 

 visited Loch Greshernish on the 25th of that month, in 

 order to inspect the several oyster fishery of which Mr. 

 Robertson is the undertaker, under " The Greshernish 

 Fishery Order, 1872." 



I found the ground so choked with seaweed that it 

 was very difficult to form any opinion as to the number of 

 oysters which exist upon it. The quantity brought up by 

 ii casts of the dredge was only 37, besides 19 brood of 

 1875, and a very few spat of 1876 ; but the mass of sea- 

 weed was so great that the dredge hardly touched the 

 bottom, and I do not think, therefore, that the results 

 which I obtained give a true impression of the amount 

 which would be taken if the ground were clean. Much of 

 the seaweed had drifted in after gales, but much of it also 



