CONTINENTAL OYSTER CULTURE. 365 



sold at fourteen to eighteen months old, and nearly all the rest 

 at eighteen to twenty-four months. 



The market classification and prices are as follows : — 1st 

 quality, or grossone, — these are the Oysters a cunichiella, twenty- 

 four months old ; price £1 to £2 per 1000. 2nd quality, or 

 uso Bari, — these are the best selected out of those eighteen to 

 twenty-four months old; price £1 to £2 per 1000. 3rd quality, 

 or uso Napoli, — the ordinary run of Oysters between eighteen to 

 twenty -four months old. Their mean diameter is 2f to 2f in., 

 and average weight 88 lbs. per 1000. Price 5s. 6d. to 10s. per 

 1000. The uso Napoli constitute two-thirds of the annual pro- 

 duce. 4th quality, or sotto Napoli, — the Oysters rejected from 

 the above classes. Their mean diameter is If to 2 in. Price 

 4s. 2d. per 1000. 



The above are wholesale prices at the farms, and do not 

 include packing or delivery. The mean wholesale price of the bulk 

 of the annual produce may therefore be taken as 7s. 6d. per 1000. 



As regards the working costs of the Tarantine system, an 

 estimate is given by Dr. Carazzi in ' Ostricultura ' (Manueli 

 Hoepli). This estimate is for a moderate -sized farm, say of 

 3000 square yards. The rent is fixed at £18 per annum. Two 

 hundred and sixty stakes, costing 4s. 2d. to 8s. kd. each, are 

 reckoned at an average price of 6s. 3d., or in round numbers £80. 

 Three rough flat-bottomed boats cost another £24. Stakes and 

 boats together therefore cost £104. Calculating interest at three 

 per cent., and total depreciation in ten years, the capital sunk in 

 stakes and boats is represented by 13 guineas per annum. Pro- 

 bably 30 stakes a year will have to be replaced at a cost of 

 another £10 ; the boats also will require overhauling — say a 

 further £4 per annum. The total annual expenditure for stakes 

 and boats therefore is about £28. Grass rope, 15,000 lbs., may 

 cost another a£32 per annum ; and 2000 fascines as collectors at 

 2^d. each, another £20 ; whilst for baskets £2 may be allowed. 

 For labour, six men are reckoned at 10s. per week, or 6 X 10s. X 

 52 — £156 per annum; adding something for boys, the total 

 labour may be estimated at £160 per annum. 



The average yield of such a property is 750,000 Oysters 

 per annum. These sold at 7s. 6d. per 1000 realize £281, so 

 that the balance-sheet is : — • 



