BIVALVE MOLLUSC A 397 



however, that no rule can be laid down even as to the particular yeai 

 in which the oysters will spawn, much less where it will be carried to ; 

 for, although the artificial contrivances adopted by Sergius Grata for 

 saving the spawn are perfectly well known to the parties interested 

 here, they have not hitherto been imitated ; the practice of the com- 

 panies and private owners of oyster- layers being to purchase their young 

 brood 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 Bay 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 150 boats, each 

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

 ing 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 supply the market at some J8 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 " native," 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 of mussels. On the other three days dredging for 

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

 many oysters are lifted as are required. Not only is this constant 

 dredging of the beds themselves necessary, but the public beds im- 

 mediately 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 



