IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND FKANCE. 181 



those richer, who undertake the culture of oysters on a larger scale. Such 

 is the importance of these model farms, that I had the honour of proposing 

 to you, sir, in one of my previous letters, that a return should be pub- 

 lished each year of the works done on the Imperial Parks, of the methods 

 employed, and the results obtained. Many people in effect have asked 

 me for information and advice. I have received letters from parkers at 

 Auray, La Trinite, the River Crach, from England, Holland, and 

 Belgium, asking for advice. 



This role is then of use, it is well marked out, well filled under the 

 inspiration of your high abilities, and your great experience. It is 

 necessary to continue in that way, and especially to work in the Basin of 

 Arcachon. A few words will suffice to show that it is there especially 

 that the Imperial Parks should be kept and cultivated with care. 



At low tide the basin offers a great abundance of banks of mud, or 

 gravel, or shells, separated by narrow but deep channels. What comes to 

 pass at the spatting time, when the tide rises 1 The oyster that was 

 lowest on the bed, dry from one to two hours, will open as soon as it 

 feels the pleasant freshness of the waves, it will send forth its spat, the 

 current will carry them on and will place them on these beds covered 

 with shells, and collectors placed there by the hand of man ; for the pass 

 is narrow, and the basin is large ; but when the tide is full in, it divides 

 in several branches, it flows then more slowly, and with far less violence, 

 the waves are broken and the water is less agitated. The microscopic 

 oyster will then have every chance of attaching itself to a shell or a 

 tile placed in the vicinity, whilst in open bays the troubled waters will 

 not allow it to rest on any fixed point, and many are lost in this 

 manner. 



The Basin of Arcachon we see is then admirably constructed by 

 nature to serve as a nursery for the growth of oysters, to produce mil- 

 lions, then to spread them on the coast of France, or to sell them to 

 other nations. Your great experience, sir, had well understood the 

 importance of this point, and time has justified your choice and labour. 

 Still, some years of patience, of work, and of foresight, and we will have 

 arrived at a splendid result. 



Last year 18,000 tiles were placed on the Imperial beds, this year I 

 put down 68,000. The 1,300 tiles at Arcachon produced a million of 

 oysters; if the harvest of 1870 be as good as that of 1869, we will 

 collect from four to five millions of oysters. Monday last, the 27th 

 June, I saw* on the greater part of the tiles, by tens, twenties, and 

 thirties ; on several I even counted as many as fifty. In some days I 

 will be able to say how many oysters we may expect this year. 



It will not be as great as I would have expected, but the vote du 

 plebiscite at Bordeaux, and the mending of the vessel, kept me from 

 Arcachon during the month of May ; then again, I have been short of 

 hands, and considering the number of tiles that had to be put down, I 

 was obliged to commence to place the collectors on the 15th of May. 

 The tiles, although I took the precaution to place them where they would 

 be well washed by the current, are a little soiled by the deposit of mud, 

 and do not give the same return as those put down in the beginning of 

 June, and even from the 12th to the 21st June. But I had a great 

 number of appareils to put down ; this year, on account of the unaccus- 

 tomed heat, promised to be exceptional ; I had not sufficient money to 

 hire labourers, so I had to act as I did. 



We have this year unusual expenses to go to, viz., two large boats for 



* Number left out in original. 



