384 THE OCEAN WORLD. 



from the dredgers and others who fish along the public foreshore and 

 open grounds on the Kent and Essex coasts, and even as far north as 

 the Frith of Forth. The little hay of Pont, for instance, on the Essex 

 coast, which is an open piece of water sixteen miles long and three 

 broad, free to all, and which formerly yielded considerable supplies to 

 Billingsgate, now gives employment to a hundred and fifty boats, each 

 with crews of three or four men, who are wholly employed in obtaining 

 young brood that is, oysters from eighteen months to two years old, 

 which they sell to the oyster farmers. The result is, that the oyster 

 farms have become a vast monopoly. By tacit consent they agree to 

 feed the market at some eight pounds sterling per bushel ; they pay the 

 dredger one-fourth of that sum ; and as the common fishing grounds are 

 thus rendered mere nurseries of young brood, the lover of the bivalve 

 must reconcile himself to pay a monopoly price for the precious morsel. 



The system pursued at Whitstable, and other oyster-parks in the 

 estuary of the Thames and Medway, is most efficient. The oysters 

 reared in them, called " natives," in contradistinction to those called 

 " commons," which are bred in their natural beds, are justly considered 

 to be very superior in flavour, although they are a mixed breed, being 

 brought from every quarter to augment the stock. 



The Thames, or " native " system, is as follows : Every year each 

 layer is gone over and examined by means of a dredge, successive 

 portions being done day by day, till it may be said that each individual 

 oyster has been examined ; the young brood is detached from its bed, 

 the double oysters are separated, and all kinds of enemies killed. 

 During three days in each week dredging is pursued for " planting ;" 

 that is, for transference from one bed to another more suitable for 

 their growth or fattening, and for the removal of the dead or sickly 

 oysters and mussels. On the other three days dredging for market 

 takes place, when the more mature beds are dredged, and as many 

 are lifted as are required. Not only is this constant dredging of the 

 beds themselves necessary, but the public beds immediately outside 

 require the same care to keep them in a fit state, and free from 

 enemies. 



The same story of over-fishing and improvidence extends round onr 

 whole coast. The far-famed Pandores obtained at Preston Pans, near 

 Edinburgh, once so cheap, are becoming scarce and dear. The brood 

 is caught and barreled for export to Holland and other places, especially 



