16 



REPORT ON OYSTER CULTURE 



arising from his storing oysters within a small stone enclosure, and 

 finding some time afterwards that a large quantity of spat had 

 adhered to the stones. 



Encouraged by this, Bceuf in the ensuing year made a larger 

 enclosure on the foreshore and laid down more oysters and stones ; 

 the result was most successful, and many of his neighbours, seeing 

 this, engaged in like enterprises, and were so well remunerated 

 for their trouble and outlay that an extensive cultivation on this 

 plan was soon in operation on various parts of the shores of the 

 island. These layings do not extend below low-water mark, and 

 in most places the water is retained by small embankments. 



To show how extensive these enterprises are, a map of the 



Island, showing the various pares, &c., is appended See map of 



He de Re, Plate 1, Appendix. 



The results were much greater the first few years than they 

 have been latterly, as will be seen by the following figures — 



Return of Oysters sold from the Isle de Re Parcs. 



Year. 



1857, 

 1858, 

 1859, 

 1860, 

 1861, 

 1862, 

 1863, 

 1864, 

 1865, 

 1866, 

 1867, 



18,051,893 14,816 



The young oysters are usually removed from the stones at one 

 year old. They are then placed in claires* to grow and fatten, the 

 time they remain in claires varying according to circumstances in 

 the different localities. 



The cause assigned for the recent failures was the improvidence 

 of the concessionaires in selling off all their stock as soon as it was 

 marketable, and leaving none from which to replenish the beds. 

 But to a large extent it is probably also attributable to the stones, 

 tiles, or other collectors being in a cleaner condition during the 

 first year than they were afterwards, sufficient care not being taken 

 to keep them free from mud and weed, without the observance 

 of which precautions the adhesion of spat to collectors is very 

 doubtful. 



At the He d'Oleron, fifteen miles from the He de Re, slabs of 

 stone from one foot to two feet high by half a foot broad are placed 

 on the shore to collect the spat which is drifted to them from 

 the natural beds. Unlike the process at Re, no parent ^ or 

 breeding oysters are placed near the collectors, the spat being 

 altogether derived from the natural oyster grounds in deep water. 



From the fact that in no instance, so far as we have ascertained, 

 have either foreshore cultivation or enclosed breeding ponds 

 * For engravings of claires see plates Nos. 7 and 8- 



Number of Oysters. 



Value. 





£ 



Nil. 



Nil. 



Nil. 



Nil. 



157,500 



126 



401,350 



321 



1,615,000 



1,315 



2,780,740 



2,120 



5,650,250 



4,535 



3,376,440 



1,818 



1,919,900 



2,020 



1,181,000 



1,516 



879,713 



1,245 



