504 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



Beyond the Bay of St. Brieuc, at Tre'guier, are the natural 

 beds which have yielded from times immemorial the 

 Breton oyster, which we before mentioned. It was stated 

 some little while back that these grounds were wholly 

 destroyed, and that a disease, which no one understood, 

 was killing off the young shell-fish. These reports were 

 found to be exaggerated, and based upon the simple fact 

 that a quantity of lime falling into the water, when a bridge 

 was being constructed recently, had done considerable 

 mischief among the young shells. Still the fishery was in 

 anything but a prosperous condition. The Treguier 

 dredgers had fished without discretion, as these folk are 

 wont to do, in spite of all official warnings. The general 

 fishery took place at the lowest tides of the year, instead 

 of at ordinary low tides, thus destroying the reserve of 

 oysters for reproductive purposes. The beds were never 

 * rested ' ; or cleansed from pollution, and the people of 

 the locality had been in the habit for years of helping 

 themselves freely to oysters, whenever they felt disposed 

 to, and with the most improvident recklessness. The 

 French Inspector-General of the Fisheries actually thinks 

 the best thing for the Tre'guier " beds " would be to revert 

 to the old law of 1750, by which oyster fishing in the creek 

 of Treguier was only permitted once every six years. 

 And if this be considered too long a close season, the 

 "grounds" should be closed for a couple of years, during 

 which the beds should be properly cleaned and tended, 

 and fresh spat laid down. Then, with the new regulations 

 rigidly enforced, the Breton oyster would have a chance of 

 multiplying apace, and becoming as plentiful again and in 

 as good repute as it was a century ago. 



As to the " once flourishing natural beds of the Roads 

 of Brest," M. Bouchon-Brandely reports that they have 



