490 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



The 30 or 50 francs per " hectare," or 2^ acres, paid, is 

 also liable to be diminished, or brought up to those figures, 

 according to the value of the ground for breeding, and it is 

 let in terms of five years. Practically, these reservations do 

 not apply, unless there be proof that the first " concession- 

 aire " has been useless, when his neighbour can step in and 

 farm successfully where the first has failed. 



Although each of the oyster farmers of Re cultivates 

 his pare or claire for his own sole profit and advantage, he 

 most willingly obeys those general laws that have been 

 enacted for the good of the community. 



It is pleasant to note this (continues Mr. Bertram). 

 We cannot help being gratified at the happy moral results 

 of this wonderful industry, and it will readily be supposed 

 that with both vine culture (for the islanders have fine 

 vineyards) and oyster culture to attend to, these farmers are 

 kept very busy. Indeed, the growing commerce the 

 export of the oysters, and the import of other commodities 

 for the benefit of so industrious a population incidental to 

 such an immense growth of shell-fish as can be carried on 

 in the 4000 pares and claires which stud the foreground of 

 Re, must be arduous ; but as the labour is highly remuner- 

 ative, the labourers have great cause for thankfulness. It 

 is right, however, to state that, with all the care that can be 

 exercised, there is still an enormous amount of waste con- 

 sequent on the artificial system of culture ; the present cal- 

 culation is, that even with the best possible mode of culture 

 the average of reproduction is as yet only fourteenfold ; but 

 it is hoped by those interested that a much larger ratio of 

 increase will be speedily attained. This is desirable, as 

 prices have gone on steadily increasing since the time that 

 Boeuf first experimented. In 1859 the sales were effected 

 at about the rate of i5/- per bushel for the lowest qualities 



