OYSTER CULTURE IN ENGLAND. 413 



retaining spat from oysters native to it in the exceptionally 

 good spatting season of 1871, and enjoying the advantage 

 of possessing immigrants as well, showed a progressive 

 diminution of its stock. It is also remarkable that in 1876, 

 when the Merchants' Company's ground has been adequately 

 guarded, and when it is not alleged that poaching has 

 occurred, an abrupt drop should have taken place in the 

 yield afforded by the dredgermen's ground to less than 

 one-third, or perhaps to less than one-fourth, of the yield 



of 1875. 



On the whole, I find myself driven to the conclusion 



that some of the Emsworth dredgermen have poached upon 

 the Merchants' Company's ground to an extent which has 

 not been insignificant ; but I am necessarily unable to 

 estimate the degree to which the fact of such poaching 

 invalidates the deductions which would naturally be formed 

 from the returns presented by the Dredgermen's Company. 

 The only point connected with the working of the 

 fishery which calls for remark is that the Company has 

 abandoned the use of the three-inch ring, by which the 

 oysters which it was permitted to remove were at first tested. 

 All oysters are now brought to a receiver, who judges 

 whether they are fit for market, and rejects those which in 

 his opinion are not fit. It is very probable that some 

 Emsworth oysters grow too rapidly for a three-inch ring to 

 be a sufficient check upon their premature exportation. 

 The practice of judging by quality rather than size is, there- 

 fore, a good one, if a sufficiently healthy tone of feeling 

 exists among the body of dredgermen to enable the receiver 

 to act upon his opinion, without reference to the cupidity 



of individuals. 



I am, &c., 



(Signed) W. E. HALL. 

 The Assistant Secretary, 

 Harbour Department, Board of Trade. 



