of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



333 



to it when the size of turkey beans require from three to five years to 

 attain a length of 2 inches. Its approximate length is 500 yards, and it 

 is 200 yards in breadth at its broadest part. 



7. Guano Bank. — The character of this bank is much the same as that 

 of the preceding one. It was divided into two portions about ten or 

 twelve years ago by a small branch of the Southesk, the bed of which, 

 however, becomes dry at spring-tides. It is bounded on the west and on 

 the north by the maiu stream of the River Southesk, and is separated off 

 from the Inshore, Middle, and Big Banks by a small branch of the same 

 river on the east and south. The name Guano Bank is now restricted to 

 the northern half of it, the southern portion being called the Twamill 

 Bank. The two banks are 400 yards in length and the same in breadth, 

 and are good growing ground. The seed for it is usually obtained from 

 the Scalp. 



8. Middle Bank. — This bank was cut off from the southern shore 

 eighteen or twenty years ago by a small branch of the River Southesk, 

 and is divided off from the Big and Guano Banks by branch streams. It 

 is between 300 and 400 yards long by about 80 yards broad. The rate 

 of growth of mussels on this bank, and the character of the soil, are similar 

 to the Guano and Big Banks. Mr West states that the last time it was 

 laid down in seed was one year before the transplanting of seed to the 

 Inch Burn, and yet during last winter when the mussels from both were 

 being used as bait, those lifted from the Inch Burn were larger and better 

 than the older ones taken from the Middle Bank. 



9. Salthouse Bank. — This is the name given by the fishermen to the 

 shore bank above the Trout Shot, and must not be confounded with the 

 Big Bank which is marked in the ordnance survey map as the Salthouse 

 Bank. It is opposite the lower end of the Big Bank, and is divided from 

 it by a branch of the Southesk. It affords an example of what can be 

 done by forming new banks by cultivation. It has been reclaimed from 

 the shore, and was one of the first banks to be formed when the Society 

 began to cultivate the mussel. Mr West describes it as the 1 best grow- 

 { ing ground the Society has,' and mussels of one year old come to 

 maturity in three years. The length of the bank is 350 yards, and it is 

 120 yards in breadth. The ground is similar in character to that of the 

 banks already described. 



10. Inshore Bank. — This is the longest bed which the Ferryden Society 

 has, being 650 yards by a breadth of 80 yards. It is not such a good bed 

 as any of the others, and after mussels have lain on it for two years they 

 must be transferred to either the Guano, the Middle, the Big, or the Salt- 

 house Banks, on which they will rapidly fatten and grow. The mussels 

 are not quite so thick on the shoreward side. It stretches from the upper 

 boundary of the Rossie beds, opposite Rossie Mills, as far as the lower end 

 of the Middle Bank. In some places the mud is very soft, and the Society 

 placed at the upper end a bridge of planks in order that the gatherers 

 might get easily to the mussels which they were to lift. 



B. Messrs Johnston & Sons' Beds. 



1. Binny Bank and Briggs of Binny. — Binny Bank is situated a short 

 distance above the railway bridge, and projects to the south-east into the 

 confluent Steinschell Burn and Southesk River. The mud on the surface 

 of it rests on a layer of gravel. Binny is about 150 yards long by 50 

 yards broad, and is a nursery for seed for other banks. Seed can be 

 taken off it in alternate years of about the size of turkey beans. In March 

 1889, when it was examined by us, there was not much seed on it, as it 

 had been transplanted to the Broad Water Bank. 



