2G4 OYSTER-FARMING IN FRANCE. 



is certain that the brood thus obtained must have floated 

 out of beds belonging to the purchasers. 



Extensive oyster-grounds occupy the numerous shallow 

 creeks and channels of the estuary of the Colne, which, as 

 early as Drayton's time, was celebrated for its bivalves : 



" Think you our oysters here unworthy of your praise ? 

 Pure Walfleet, which do still the daintiest palates please." 



Their fame, however, was established at a much earlier 

 date, and Romans, Saxons, Danes, and Normans, all in 

 their turn, appreciated the Colchester " natives." 



In France oyster-farming has attained to the rank of a 

 national industry, and its shores are studded with fully 

 seven thousand ostrearia. Upon the He de Re, off 

 Rochelle, hundreds of beds have been formed within the 

 last fifteen years. The spat with which the first beds 

 were stocked was washed upon the island shores, it is 

 supposed, from some inaccessible natural scalp situated in 

 the adjoining waters. This fall of spat was first noticed 

 by a shrewd mechanic, named Hyacinthe Boeuf, who, 

 about 1858, formed a small "park" within which he laid 

 down a few bushels of growing oysters. The result was 

 so encouraging that he proceeded to enlarge his " park," 

 and in 1862 he sold out of his own stock as many oysters 

 as yielded a return of <40. His example was not long 

 in finding imitators, and "beds" were laid down with 

 such rapidity, and prospered to such an extent, that in 

 six years a stock of oysters was accumulated, valued at 

 upwards of 100,000. 



Near the He de Re exists a remarkable mussel-farm, 

 where the culture of that popular bivalve has been suc- 

 cessfully carried on for upwards of seven centuries. The 

 artificial system of growing mussels was accidentally dis- 



