OYSTER CULTURE IN ENGLAND. 427 



HOLY LOCH FISHERY ORDER. 



20, Onslow Gardens, 1 6th January, 1877. 



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

 ance with your instructions dated the ist November, 1876, 

 I inspected, on the 22nd of that month, the several oyster 

 and mussel fishery undertaken by Mr. Hunter, of Hafton, 

 and established by " The Holy Loch Fishery Order, 

 1869." 



Although oysters have always existed and still exist in 

 small numbers in Holy Loch, at the date when the Order 

 was granted none appear to have inhabited the ground 

 affected by it. In the year after it came into operation 

 40,000 were imported from Ireland, and laid down in three 

 different places within the fishery. Many of these seem 

 to have arrived in a dead or dying state, and it is conse- 

 quently very uncertain with what number of oysters the 

 ground was actually stocked. None of the three spots 

 fixed upon for the formation of beds appear to have been 

 well chosen. One was near the mouth of a river which 

 brings down large quantities of sand, and the oysters placed 

 there were covered up and disappeared. Four or five 

 thousand were laid in shallow water, close to Ardnadam 

 pier ; and it is alleged, with much probability, that the 

 surface mud of the bottom was so stirred up by the paddles 

 of the steamers, which call at the pier several times a day, 

 as to choke the oysters : in any case, those laid near the 

 pier never spatted, and seem to have gradually died out. 

 A small number were also placed further out, but still 

 possibly within the area of disturbed mud : these have 

 lasted longer, and a few still remain ; but as the ground 

 has never been cleansed, it is in a foul condition, and as 

 no cultch has ever been laid down, nothing exists to 



