OYSTER CULTURE IN FRANCE. 557 



of the exceptional conditions that the scene of his work 

 offered for rearing. 



The operations of M. Pozzi, and what is meant in 

 Brittany by rearing, properly so called, are as follows : 



For example, the spat that M. Pozzi bought in March, 

 1876, was produced at Auray towards the beginning of 

 August in the preceding year. It was picked off in March, 

 1876. It was carried to the Isle of Kistinie in the month 

 of April, and at once put in cases, and after remaining two 

 months, part was sent to the principal establishment at 

 Ludre to be placed in submersible basins. 



The sale of such spat, which usually measures 4 or 6 

 centimetres, takes place in the month of September of the 

 same year. If the buyer cannot take charge of it at once, 

 or if the stock is not exhausted, the young oysters are 

 transferred to preserve pares for the winter. The mer- 

 chants of He d'Oleron, Marennes, or La Tremblade, are 

 usually the purchasers. 



The extent of M. Pozzi's pares allows him to raise 

 every year six or seven millions of oysters. This number 

 will be able to be doubled when the works of re-arrange- 

 ment he has undertaken in the salt marshes at Ludre are 

 completed. 



LES SABLES D'OLONNE. 



It is scarcely three or four years since ostriculture 

 began to engage attention at Les Sables d'Olonne. Before 

 that time there existed only depots or mere holes in which 

 merchants placed oysters which they went to Noirmoutiers 

 to buy, whilst waiting the favourable time for sale. As a 



J * o 



further illustration of the effects of the example set by the 

 Ministry of Marine, the parc-owners have at length decided 



