THIRTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 147 
estimate of the total product of the world was presented as 
follows; the figures being given in the number of individual 
oysters produced. 
COUNTRIES. NUMBER OF OYSTERS. 
Witibed. States .«.. / ic ete 5,5 50,000,000, 
ianada ..;... +... cae 22,000,000. 
Hotal Jor North Americasiae: 5,572,000,000. 
Prance> >. 6. 0 Ne Rea 680,400,000. 
Great) Britainyi: 2}. Oise. 1,600,000,000, 
Rieter des? 303 sad sieves xi Mae dns Bas COO, 
2} no ec were sida gy ZOIQOOQ00, 
Re RONAN. . <4 5,055 = a you bE tae 4,000,000. 
NO UT fee ssn 2 wo ee 2,500,000, 
DAUR es acs 2 ons $e 1,000,000, 
POECUOAL cx. 2. ce 800,000. 
Penitatik ="... 2. ets c eee 200,000. 
12 HGS] Fr ae les a ree Ee LT 250,000. 
Norway Ue ots i See 250,000. 
Monat tom Kit ONG ..052 ane 2,331,200,000. 
The oyster industry is rapidly passing from the hands of the 
fishermen into those of oyster-culturists. The oyster being se- 
dentary, except for a few days in the earliest stages of its exist- 
ence, is easily exterminated in any given locality, since, al- 
though it may not be possible for the fisherman to rake up from 
the bottom every individual, wholesale methods of capture soon 
result in covering up or otherwise destroying the oyster banks 
or reefs, as the communities of oysters are technically termed. 
The main difference between the oyster industry of America and 
that of Europe, lies in the fact that in Europe the native beds 
have long since been practically destroyed, perhaps not more 
than six or seven per cent. of the oysters of Europe passing from 
the native beds directly into the hands of the consumer. It is 
probable that sixty to seventy-five per cent. are reared from the 
seed in artificial parks, the remainder having been laid down for 
a time to increase in size and flavor in the shoal waters along the 
coasts. In the United States, on the other hand, from thirty to 
forty per cent. are carried from the native beds directly to mar- 
