26 UNDEVELOPED RESOURCES OF MARINE FISHERIES. 
ditions which seemed all that could be desired, but without ' 
satisfactory results, so that the presence of a natural bed is 
really the only thoroughly reliable indication of the suitability 
of any given piece of sea bottom. Two winters ago a smack 
from Garlieston started dredging on a bed which lies close to 
that town, and, after great difficulty in finding a market, an 
outlet was at last found for them at the price of two shillings a 
hundred. Even at this ridiculously low figure the men were 
able to make good wages, but owing to the irregular size and 
great age of most of the oysters procured, the market did not 
hold, and after a few months the demand ceased altogether. 
Here we have a valuable fishery absolutely wasted owing to: 
want of proper management. The same thing applies to the 
large beds lying between St. Bees Head and the Isle of Man. 
Some of the Whitehaven fishermen told me they believed these 
beds were fully twenty feet deep, and I saw large quantities. 
which they had brought up in their trawls while fishing for flat. 
fish. One great difficulty in the way of improvement is the fact 
that any man or body of men who undertook the work would 
have no security from outsiders, who might come. in and reap 
the benefit of their labours. There are a number of people who. 
are fully alive to the value of these beds if taken in hand, but 
they are naturally not willing to move in the matter without some 
guarantee that their interest would be protected. As _ things. 
stand at present, the beds, if put in working order, might be 
cleared in a few weeks by a fleet of dredgers, which would 
gather the harvest, and for the sake of present gain would 
destroy all prospect for the future. The Inspector of Fisheries. 
for Ireland reported some years ago that on one part of the 
Trish coast cne bed of oysters gave employment to 2000 fisher- 
men, but so recklessly were they fished that the freight, which 
once reached £1000 per week, had fallen to £300 per annum. 
The French people have been very active in the development 
of their oyster fisheries, and I find in an old report by Dr Henry 
Lawson the following interesting note. Referring to the success. 
of systematic cultivation he says:—‘ The most convincing evi- 
dence of all is that afforded by the Isle of Ré. Five years since: 
the shores of this island were barren and uncultivated ; now they 
give employment to 3000 men, and the crop of oysters produced 
in 1861 was valued at £320,000 sterling.’’ The oyster farms 
