OYSTER CULTURE IN FRANCE. 567 



This working ground is at the mouth of the Seudre, in 

 the Bay of Sinche. The establishment is very skilfully 

 divided, is composed of 12 da-ires, of about 40 square 

 metres, six placed on each side of a dyke of 2 metres. On 

 this dyke M. de Faramond, who has adopted the most 

 recent improvements, has constructed a railway with an 

 attendant waggon, to render the transport of his fish from 

 the boats into the claires, later on into the cleansing 

 reservoirs, and from thence to the packing works at the 

 head of the concession, rapid and cheap. He finds it 

 convenient to keep oysters of all qualities and sizes in each 

 cfaz're, thus he has but one receptacle to empty, whatever 

 kind may be required, and he avoids the great inconvenience 

 of opening a certain number of sluices, and drying up 

 several layings at times when it would be impossible to 

 refill them. M. de Faramond has completed his packing 

 works by a double sorter, an ingenious machine which 

 allows two women to classify 30,000 or 40,000 oysters in 

 one day. 



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To conclude with some statistical details :- 



In 1873, according to the register of sea fisheries, the 

 number of shell fish establishments was 2564 ; in three 

 years it has increased to 13,526. 



The claires occupy on each side of the Seudre an area 

 of 20 kilometres in length by i kilometre in breadth, say 

 4000 hectares worked. 



The number of oysters contained in the concessions is 



j 



estimated at 80,000,000. 



Finally, it may be said that ostriculture makes the 

 fortune of the majority of the inhabitants of this region. 

 Nearly all the families are proprietors or concessionnaires of 

 a pare, a pond, or a claire, which they manage themselves. 

 The workmen who are not tenants find employment in the 



