OTSTEE-FASCINES. 



241 



people, as being the most suitable to follow, and experiments 

 were at once entered upon with a view to prove whether it would 

 be as practicable to cultivate oysters as easily among the agitated 

 waves of the open sea as in the quiet waters of Pusaro. In 

 order to settle this point, it was determined to renew the old 

 oyster-beds in the Bay of St. Brieuc, and notwithstanding the 

 fact that the water there is exceedingly deep and the winds very 

 violent, immediate and almost miraculous success was the result. 



fe*- 



OYSTER-PYRAMID. 



The fascines laid down soon became covered with seed, and 

 branches were speedily exhibited at Paris, and other places, con- 

 taining thousands of young oysters. The experiments in oyster- 

 culture tried at St. Brieuc were commenced early, on part of a space 

 of 3000 acres that was deemed suitable for the reception of spat. 

 A quantity of breeding oysters, approaching to three millions, 

 was laid down either on the old beds or on newly-constructed 

 longitudinal banks ; these 'were sown thick on a bottom composed 

 chiefly of immense quantities of old shells — ^the " middens " of 

 Cancale in fact, where the shell accumulation had become a 

 nuisance — so that there was a more than ordinary good chance 

 for the spat finding at once a proper holding-on place. Then 

 again, over some of the new banks, fascines made of boughs 

 tightly tied together were sunk and chained over the beds, so as 

 to intercept such portions of the spawn as were likely, upon 



