[51] OYSTER CULTURE IN MORBIHAN. 993 
lege of renewal by the retainer, unless the public interests demand other- 
wise. 
2d. An acknowledgment of the right of pre-emption for the descend- 
ents, or of a valuation to be placed upon the park in case of change, and, 
also, a right of pre-emption, for those who reside along a river, to that 
which faces their property. 
A concession given for a stated period will have the immense ad- 
vantage of enabling the culturist to calculate a total or partial redemp- 
tion of his capital, which will afford him some certainty for the future. 
This certainty will engender confidence, which is inseparable from pro- 
gress. 
On this point, our French oyster culturists have once more given an ex- 
ample of that peculiarity of our national character, exhibiting at times 
an exaggerated fear and again an incomparable audacity. 
It is generally stated that we are lacking in commercial spirit, that 
the English and Americans, more daring than we, know better how to 
venture in untrodden paths, and, thanks to these qualities, attain won- 
derful results in all industrial pursuits. 
It will not be rash to assert that neither English nor Americans would 
have hazarded the establishment of an industry, the existence of which 
depended upon an authorization, which was revokable from one day to 
the next. The most venturesome would have held back before such 
instability; and what proves this is, that American legislation has been 
categorical in this respect. 
Thus, in Massachusetts, where the celebrated Northern oyster is found, 
the concessions are made for twenty years, the oyster culturist and his 
heirs having the exclusive privilege of the conceded ground. In Rhode 
Island, where oysters are extensively cultivated along the banks of 
Providence River, the shortest concessions are for five years and the 
longest for ten years. In Connecticut, each authorization indicates the 
duration of the concession made. Farther still, not only is a stated 
duration of concession considered indispensable in America, but, in 
many cases, those who reside upon the banks of a river are acknowl- 
edged to have the right of cultivating oysters along the frontage of their 
own property. This is the case in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, 
Maryland, &e. 
In this manner, legislation has shown that human activity can and 
should develop itself, not only on the land, but also in the domain of 
the sea; it has comprehended that the initiative should always be left 
to those who would engage in any undertaking, both as regards the cul- 
tivation of the land and the sea bottom. Without entering into the 
realm of industry, it has removed obstacles and taken all measures not 
to hinder the advancement of oyster culture. Here we find both an 
example and a lesson; an example, for, notwithstanding the wealth 
derived from the oyster trade in the United States, legislation protects 
oyster culture, a thing which is wanting with us here in France, where 
S. Mis. 29 63 
