440 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



ROACH RIVER FISHERY. 





 24, Ladbroke Square, W., zo Ih October, 1876. 



Sir, I beg to inform you that, in compliance with 

 your desire, I availed myself of the opportunity afforded by 

 the recent Board of Trade inquiry at Southend, Essex, to 

 visit and inspect the grounds of the Roach River Oyster 

 Fishery Company in that county. 



Since the company was established in 1866, I have 

 made several visits of inspection, and on each occasion 

 have found an improvement and enlarged area of cultiva- 

 tion, and during the last few years a large and steady 

 increase in the production of the fishery, as evidenced by 

 the quantity of oysters it has been able to send to market. 

 The expenses, on the contrary, have rather diminished than 

 otherwise. It will be seen from the annexed return that, 

 in the year 1872, the number of bushels of oysters sold was 

 only 71 ; in 1873 it rose to 420 ; in 1874 to 654 ; in 1875 

 to 862, and for the first half year only of 1876, up to 3Oth 

 June last (the date of the return), to 601 bushels, realising 

 ^"5,834 75. 3d., or about q 145. per bushel. 



These increased sales have produced their natural 

 result on the dividend paid by the company. These were 

 respectively 







In 1874 2,500 (equal to about 10 per cent.) j O n the 

 In 1875 5,000 ( 20 ) ' called up 

 In 1876 6,250 (or nearly 25 per cent.) 



Of the total area of 403 acres of sea-bed and foreshore 

 originally granted, 306 acres have been entirely and 97 



