OYSTER CULTURE IN ENGLAND. 353 



too, by the unnatural increase of prices to an almost 

 prohibitive point." 



Happily this increase of price is not often the case, 

 but, that consumers in general suffer, but too frequently will 

 be seen in the following newspaper report for the season 

 in 1889. 



"There is an abundant supply of oysters this season, 

 and, although the retail prices are somewhat less exorbi- 

 tant than usual, the wholesale trade complains that most 

 fishmongers do not permit the public fully to profit by the 

 recent fall in the market quotations. As compared with 

 last year, the best Colne natives bring 4/- a hundred less 

 at Billingsgate, the present figure being i6/- to i8/-; but 

 the retail prices still range from 3/- to 4/- a dozen. As a 

 matter of fact, nearly the only purchasers are one or two 

 City restaurants and the West-end clubs and families. It 

 is believed that merchants have large supplies on hand at 

 Burnham and elsewhere, but they are not disposed to 

 accept lower rates until compelled, an event which is 

 confidently expected. Meanwhile the general public are 

 buying largely of Dutch oysters, the retail price of which 

 is 2/- a dozen /or large sizes and 1/6 for seconds, the 

 difference being that the former have been laying for three 

 years and the latter for two. In appearance, although the 

 shell is smooth, a Dutch oyster cannot compare with a 

 Whitstable native, but the flavour is adjudged excellent, 

 and the public are quite satisfied. According to the report 

 of the committee appointed to adjudicate on the various 

 exhibits of live oysters at the International Fisheries 

 Exhibition of 1883, the awards were determined by the 

 following considerations : Production, from the nativeal 

 spat to the marketable oyster was held of primary import- 

 ance ; then the cultivation of transplanted ' brood ' and 



M 



