370 THE COLNE OYSTER-BEDS. [CHAP. vm. 



plant it ; it is utterly useless to throw a lot of oysters down 

 amongst every state of filth. You must keep constantly 

 dredging, not only the bed itself, but the public beds outside, 

 so as to keep the bottom fit for the reception and growth of the 

 young oysters, and free of its multitudinous natural enemies. 



It may as well be explained here also, that what are called 

 native beds are all cultivated beds ; the natural beds are un- 

 cultivated, and are generally public and free to all comers. 

 The Colne beds, however, are an exception : they are natural 

 beds, but are held by the city of Colchester as property. 

 Whenever a new bed is discovered anywhere nowadays, the 

 run upon it is so great that it is at once despoiled of its 

 shelly treasures ; and the native beds would soon become 

 exhausted if they were not systematically conducted on sound 

 commercial principles, and regularly replenished with brood. 



As regards the oyster-cultivation of the river Colne, some 

 interesting statistics have been recently made public at Col- 

 chester by Councillor Hawkins. That gentleman tells us 

 that oyster-brood increases fourfold in three years. The 

 quantity of oysters in a London bushel is as follows : First 

 year, spat, number not ascertainable ; second year, brood, 

 6400 ; third year, ware, 2400 ; fourth year, oysters, 1600 ; 

 therefore, four wash of brood (i.e. four pecks), purchased at 

 say 5s. per wash, increase by growth and corresponding 

 value to 42s. per bushel, or a sum of eight guineas. The 

 Whitstable dredgers, it is said, drew 60,000 for their oysters 

 in 1860-^ viz. 10,000 for "commons," and 50,000 for 

 "natives ;" but out of this sum they had of course to pay for 

 "brood." The gross amount received by the Colne Fishery 

 Company for oysters sold during the last ten years, ending at 

 July 1862, appears by the treasurer's account to have been 

 83,000 ; the average annual produce of the Colne Fishery 

 Company having been 4374 bushels for that period. How- 

 ever, the quantity obtained from the river Colne by the com- 



