116 THE OYSTER. 



to market. This was also the case in the Koach 

 and Crouch, and in the Blackwater. . 



With regard to the fall of spat at the mouth of 

 the Thames, Mr. Buckland has kindly given me the 

 following evidence to offer concerning the spatting 

 during various seasons : 



1849 ... ... ... spat very good 



1850 , good 



1851 bad 



1852 bad 



1853 bad 



1854 ... bad 



1855 bad 



1856 bad 



1857 a little spat 



1858 good 



1859 very heavy 



1860 very heavy 



1861 bad 



1862 bad 



1863 bad 



1864 ... bad 



1865 rather better 



Now, what is the deduction we may gather from 

 these facts? May it be that there is a regular 

 periodical fall of spat ? 



I will now endeavour to give some description of 

 the modes of oyster culture that have proved most 

 successful. The plan at the Isle de Re is as follows : 

 The chosen situation is a long mud bank exposed 

 at low tide ; in the middle of this is a long channel 



