PEOSPEEITY OF THE OYSTEE-GROWERS. 247 



A small payment is made by every farmer as a contribution 

 to the general expense, while each division of the community 

 employs a special watchman to guard the crops, and see that 

 all goes on with propriety and good faith ; and although each 

 of the oyster-farmers of the He de Ee cultivates his own park 

 or clair'e for his own sole profit and advantage, they molt 

 willingly obey the general laws that have been enacted for the 

 good of the community. It is pleasant to note this. We 

 cannot help being gratified at the happy moral results of this 

 wonderful industry, and it will readily be supposed that with 

 both vine-culture (for the islanders have fine vineyards) and 

 oyster-culture to attend to, these farmers are kept very busy. 

 Indeed, the growing commerce — the export of the oysters, and 

 the import of other commodities for the' benefit of so industrious 

 a population — incidental to such an immense growth of shell- 

 fish as can be carried on in the 4000 parks and claires which 

 stud the foreground of Ke must be arduous ; but as the labour 

 is highly remunerative, the labourers have great cause for 

 thankfulness. It is right, however, to state that, with all the 

 care that can be exercised, there is still an enormous amount of 

 waste consequent on the artificial system of culture ; the present 

 calculation is, that even with the best possible mode of culture 

 the average of reproduction is as yet only fourteenfold ; but it 

 is hoped by those interested that a much larger ratio of increase 

 wiU be speedily attained. This is desirable, as prices have 

 gone on steadily increasing since the time that Boeuf first experi- 

 mented. In 1859 the sales were efiected at about the rate of 

 fifteen shillings per bushel, for the lowest qualities — the highest 

 being double that price ; these were for fattening in the claires, 

 and when sold again they brought from two to three pounds 

 per bushel. 



One of the most lucrative branches of foreign oyster-farm- 

 ing may be now described — i.e. the manufacture of the cele- 

 brated green oysters. The greening of oysters, many of which 

 are brought from the He de Ee parks, is extensively carried on 

 at Marennes, on the banks of the river Seudre, and this par- 

 ticular branch of oyster industry, which extends for leagues 

 along the river, and is also sanctioned by free grants from 

 the State, has some features that are quite distinct from those 

 we have been considering, as the green oyster is of considerably 

 more value than the common white oyster. The peculiar colour 

 and taste of the green oyster are imparted to it by the vegetable 



