368 THE PONT OYSTER-GROUNDS. [CHAP. vm. 



While in the spat state it is calculated that a bushel measure 

 will contain 25,000 oysters. When the spawn is two years 

 old it is called brood, and while in this condition a bushel 

 measure will hold 5500. In the next stage of growth, oysters 

 are called ware, and it takes about 2000 of them to fill the 

 bushel. In the final or oyster stage a bushel contains about 

 1500 individuals. Very large sums have been paid in some 

 years by the Whitstable company for brood with which to 

 stock their grounds, great quantities being collected from 

 the Essex side, there being a number of people who derive a 

 comfortable income from collecting oyster-brood on the public 

 foreshores, and disposing of it to persons who have private 

 nurseries, or oyster-layings as theseisare locally called. The 

 grounds of Pont are particularly fruitful in spat, and yield 

 large quantities to all that require it. Pont is an open space 

 of water, sixteen miles long by three broad, free to all ; about 

 one hundred and fifty boats, each with crews of three or four 

 men, find constant employment upon it, in obtaining young 

 oysters, which they sell to the neighbouring oyster-farmers, 

 although it is certain that the brood thus freely obtained must 

 have floated out of beds belonging to the purchasers. The price 

 of brood is often as high as forty shillings per bushel, and it 

 is the sum obtained over this cost price that must be looked 

 to for the paying of wages and the realisation of profit. Oysters 

 have risen in price very much of late years, and brood has 

 also, in consequence of the scarcity of spat, been proportion- 

 ally high. 



Whitstable oyster-beds are " worked " with great industry, 

 and it is the process of " working " that gives employment to 

 so many people, and improves the Whitstable oysters so much 

 beyond those found on the natural beds, which are known as 

 " Commons," in contradistinction to the bred oysters of Whit- 

 stable and other grounds, which are called "Natives." These 

 latter are justly considered to be of superior flavour, although 



