320 OSTREAD^. 



Wexford, and elsewhere, in order to be laid down on 

 the Beaumaris beds. The most renowned of the Irish 

 oyster-fisheries is that of Carlingford. The shell-fish 

 are there dredged by boats each manned by from three 

 to five men, who take about fifty dozen a day. The 

 oysters of each boat are deposited within a ring of large 

 stones till sold ; the place being marked by a buoy. 

 They are sold to dealers only, at from 8c?. to 2s. for ten 

 dozen. A yearly fee of 5s. is paid by each boat to the 

 Marquis of Anglesey. The fishermen earn from 4c?. to 

 Is. 6d. per diem, and are mostly landholders.'" 



There are natural oyster-beds in Belfast bay, on banks 

 at a depth of from twelve to twenty-five fathoms. Mr. W. 

 Thompson informs us that in March 1848 he had the 

 four largest oysters selected from about five hundred taken 

 on these beds, and by weighing them before their being 

 opened found two to be each one pound and a half, the 

 third one pound and three-quarters, and the fourth two 

 pounds, imperial weight. " The two largest oysters," he 

 states, " on being taken from their shells weighed each an 

 ounce and a half, and the others somewhat less. The 

 oysters from which these were selected were sold at the 

 rate of sixteen shillings for the one hundred and twenty- 

 four. The shells were in length from five inches and a half 

 to six and a half; in breadth from five inches to five and 

 a half, and in depth with the valves closed two inches and 

 a half." There are oyster-beds partly private and in- 

 creased by planting in Loch S willy. Irish oyster-dredgers 

 have a notion that the more the banks are dredged, the 

 more the oysters breed. 



* Report on Irish Fisheries for 1836. 



