60 THE ECONOMIC MOLLUSCA OF ACADIA. 



States, who could give his whole time to the work; who could.! 

 not only scientifically investigate the needs of our own region^ 

 but also direct the work of private culturists. 



Oyster-culture has been tried in Acadia, but under many 

 discouragements. Hon, Mr. Pope, in Richmond Bay, Prince 

 Edward Island, and Hon. Mr. Macfarlane, in Wallace Harbor, 

 Nova Scotia, have had moderate success.* It has been tried, 

 too, as Gaspe, at Bic and at Seven Islands, in Quebec, and in 

 Passamaquoddy Bay, but these are outside the range of 

 the Oyster, and where the temperature is too low in summer 

 for the development of the young. 



It is to systematic culture that the Oyster-industry must 

 look for its future, France leads the world in Oyster-culture, 

 England and Germany are far behind, and the United States 

 comes last of all. This whole subject is too vast to be more- 

 than alluded to in this paper, but references to the more 

 important works will be found below. Oyster-culture is 

 carried to greatest perfection at Arcachon, in France. There 

 are used elaborate means of arresting the Spat or young by 

 providing clean, hard supports to which they may attach 

 themselves. The latter are either tiles, faggots, old shells 

 strung on wire or other similar devices. As soon as the young 

 are from half an inch to an inch in diameter, they are removed 

 and placed in artificial ponds in which their growth is care- 

 fully watched until they are marketable, which occurs in from 

 two to three years. They are usually fattened in special 

 ponds. From this high state of culture down to the simple 

 removal of the Oysters from the natural beds to places 

 favorable for fattening or bloating them (as the case may be) 

 for the market, there is every gradation. A thorough know- 

 ledge of the subject is a study for a lifetime, a profession in 

 itself. 



There is no doubt that the coasts of the Acadian Oyster- 

 region are extremely well adapted for Oyster-culture. Almost 



* Mr. J. H. Duvar recently told the writer that,— " Messrs. Pope's Oyster-farm, 

 at Squirrel Creek, Richmond Bay. ... is still in profitable existence. W. A. Pope 



died and the property went to his brother, Hon J. C. Pope Later, the 



Oyster-lot laj- vacant for a long time, until bought last year by Mr. Richards, who- 

 works it profitably." 



