64 MUSSEL CULTURE 



on top of another mussel — every one should rest 

 on the bed. If spat settles on other mussels, 

 the difficulty arises in its most awkward form. 

 The only thing which can then be done is to 

 allow the spat to grow till it is large enough to 

 be separated, and this separation can most readily 

 be effected by means of the hand and riddle. I 

 understand that the Ferryden Society crop about 

 40 acres in the year, supplying 12,000-14,000 

 measures of 90-96 lbs., and frequently transplant 

 their mussels twice. ;^200 per annum are paid 

 in wages to the workers, and the price of from 

 6d. to 8d. a basket paid by the fishermen makes 

 up the sum required for this and other expenses. 

 The fact that the fishermen of Montrose are 

 better off in their supply of mussels than any 

 others on the coast, speaks to the success of the 

 methods employed. 



Star-fish can do irreparable damage to seed- 

 beds, and should, like all other enemies, such as 

 whelks and urchins, be constantly gathered. 



Every individual locality, on account of its 

 surroundings, will naturally be found to require 

 its own peculiarities of treatment, just as sister- 

 ships frequently require different handling ; but 

 the sketch given above of the methods which 



