48 CEYLON PEAKL OYSTER REPORT. 



out consistently will go some little way towards effecting what is desired. Much 

 more active measures must, however, be taken to ensure an immediate improvement 

 of the ground, and to save the spat now on the sand a great deal of cultching work 

 must be done during the next three months. 



Fig. 16. Natural cultch (Lithothanmion) and, to the left, a similar Nullipore ball with a dozen 



young pearl oysters attached. 



The cultching operation which Mr. Hornell has recommended to the Ceylon 

 Government, and which I entirely approve of, is the disposal annually, for the next 

 few years, of a quantity amounting to not less than 500 tons of rubble, carefully 

 broken to a standard size of 3^- inches X 3-g- inches X 2^ inches, upon the South- 

 central and North-east sections of the Cheval Paar. If it be possible to get any 

 broken or waste tiles and bricks, such material is preferable to stone rubble and 

 should be utilised so far as obtainable. The cost delivered on the banks of the above 

 quantity should not exceed Rs. 1500, an insignificant sum compared with the 

 enormous return in the form of oysters saved from destruction which we should 

 reasonably expect to receive from this outlay. This quantity should, however, be 

 regarded as the minimum annual amount ; a much larger deposit of cultch would 

 probably well repay the increased expenditure.* The ravages of ray-fish have been 

 great during recent months upon some parts of the Cheval Paar, and it should be 

 mentioned that the efficient strewing of rubble over the ground is probably one of the 

 most feasible methods of stopping their depredations. 



This section may appropriately end with a reference to the tabular statement on 

 p. 30, drawn up by Mr. Hornell to show the present condition of the beds of 

 oysters on the principal pearl banks. 



* As this goes to the printer, I have received the information that the Ceylon Government has very 

 wisely decided upon the larger measure of cultivation. Rs. 5000 in place of Rs. 1500 has, I understand, 

 been placed upon the estimates to meet the expense of this year's cultching operations. 



