50 



MUSSEL CULTURE. 



By a. meek. 



It is still the fact that the fishermen obtain their supplies 

 of mussel bait from Morecambe Bay, and this is as true of Sea 

 Houses as it is of Cullercoats. I have not yet had an opportunity 

 of consulting Mr. Dawson as to his success since he took over 

 the Budle Bay Mussel beds.-'" But the experiment which has 

 been made on Fenham Flats shows that far more mussels than 

 would be required in the district could be grown on the scaup 

 there. The experimental series of beds were left without 

 attention for about a year, and suffered to some extent. I have 

 had placed on a fresh portion of the scaup a quantity of young 

 mussels removed from the Snook at Holy Island. The result of 

 this experiment will be communicated later. 



There was a small bed of young mussels on the scaup which 

 had naturally formed there. The mussels have been removed 

 by some of the Holy Island fishermen to form small scaups for 

 their own use. I shall also attempt to find out how these small 

 beds progress. 



The experiments which have been made leave no doubt in my 

 own mind as to the success which would attend the formation of a 

 large mussel farm on the area knowm as the Scaup. As I have 

 stated before there is already a plentiful suppl}^ of mussels which 

 have naturally spatted, and these could be utilized to start 

 operations. Spatting occurs naturally at various places on the 

 flats and in the neighbourhood, and a constant supply would 

 thus be obtained, a supply which would be increased if the scaup 

 were covered with mussels. 



* Mr. Dawson has -written to me with regard to the Mussels at Budle Bay. He has had 

 some cultural difficulties, but he complains more about the fishermen continuing to buy 

 mussels from a distance rather than from Budle. I shall take an earlj' opportunitj^ of 

 visitmg the beds in Mr. Dawson's company. 



