ABOUT "NATIVES." 257 



which are called " Natives." These latter are justly considered 

 to be of superior flavour, although no particular reason can be 

 given for their being so, and indeed in many instances they are 

 not natives at all — that is in the sense of being spatted on the 

 ground — but are, on the contrary, a grand mixture of aU kinds 

 of oysters, brood being brought from Prestonpans and Newhaven 

 in the Firth of Forth, and from many other places, to augment 

 the stock. The so-called " native " oysters — and the name is 

 usually applied to all that are bred in the estuary of the Thames 

 — are very large in flesh, succulent and delicate in flavour, and 

 fetch a much higher price than any other oyster. The beds of 

 natives are all situated on the London clay, or on similar forma- 

 tions. There can, however, be no doubt that the difference in 

 flavour and quantity of flesh is obtained by the Thames system 

 of transplanting and working that is vigorously carried on over 

 all the beds. Every year the whole extent of the layings is 

 gone over and examined by means of the dredge ; successive 

 portions are dredged over day by day, till it may be said that 

 almost every individual oyster is examined. On the occasion of 

 these examinations, the brood is detached from the cultch, 

 double oysters are separated, and aU kinds of enemies — and 

 these are very numerous — axe seized upon and killed. It re- 

 quires about eight men per acre to work the beds effectually. 

 During three days a week, dredging for what is called the 

 " planting " is carried on ; that is, the transference of the 

 oysters • from one place to another, as may be thought suitable 

 for their growth, and also the removing of dead ones, the clear- 

 ing away of mussels, and so on. On the other three days of the 

 week it becomes the duty of the men to dredge for the London 

 market, when only so many are lifted as are required. A bell 

 is carried round and rung every morning to rouse the dredgers 

 whose turn it is for duty, and who at a given signal start to do 

 their portion of the " stint." As to this working of the oyster- 

 beds, an eminent authority has said it is utterly useless to enclose 

 a piece of ground and simply plant it ; it is utterly useless to 

 throw a lot of oysters down amongst every state of filth. You 

 must keep constantly dredging, not only the bed itself, but the 

 public beds outside, so as to keep the bottom fit for the recep- 

 tion and growth of the young oysters, and free of its multi- 

 tudinous natural enemies. 



It may as weU be explained here also, that what are called 

 native beds are all cultivated beds ; the natural beds are unculti- 



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