of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



339 



. £1500 0 0 



£215 15 0 

 284 0 0 



145 6 6 645 1 6 



Total £2145 1 6 



It is interesting to note the conclusions which Mr Johnston formed 

 twenty-one years ago, and we give them in full as follows : — ' From the 

 ' experience of the five years, now nearly elapsed, since attention was 

 ' directed to the cultivation of mussels on the Rossi e sands, the Society may 

 ' consider it as ascertained that — 1st, The Rossie ground, if properly 

 ' cultivated, and the gathering of the mussels by raking is continued, will 

 ' afford a sufficient supply of bait for Ferryden and Usan ; but, if the old 

 ( system of gathering by the women daily wading on the ground is returned 

 ' to, a sufficient supply will not be got. 2nd, The ground should be 

 * cultivated in four divisions, each division to yield a full year's supply of 

 ' mussels. 3rd, The mussel seed should be transplanted when about the 

 4 size of beans, and three years are required to bring it to maturity. 4th, 

 ' It is better, and cheaper in the long run, to employ men specially to 

 ' "seed" the ground than to depend on its being done by an occasional 

 1 turn-out of the whole of the fishermen. 5 th, If there shall be at any 

 ' time a deficient crop on the Rossie ground, a supply may be got either 

 ' on the Dun ground or from the Clyde.' 



These conclusions formed after the Society had been four years at work, 

 show how accurately the possibilities of the cultivation of the Rossie mussel 

 beds had been gauged, and if the membership had continued at 184, the 

 figure it reached to in March 1858, there might yet be a sufficiency of bait 

 for the Ferryden and Usan fishermen. With a membership now of 325 

 it is hardly possible for the limited acreage of the beds to supply the 

 greatly increased quantity of mussels required throughout the year by the 

 Ferryden and Usan men. 



The affairs of the society are now managed by a committee of fifteen, of 

 whom thirteen are resident in Ferryden and two in Usan. They 'appoint 

 i the servants and workmen, fix their wages, regulate the disposal of the 

 ' tickets for delivery of the mussels, and the prices thereof, the grounds 

 ' from which the mussels are to be taken, the purchase of boats and 

 1 implements, and generally administer the ordinary affairs of the Society.' 

 Penalties are attached to removing mussels without the consent of the 

 committee, or of those authorised by the committee, to trespassing on or 

 wilfully injuring the beds, and to selling mussels to strangers. The 

 committee may sell to non-members if there is a surplus of seed or mussels 

 of bait size. 



* No mussels can be sold for manure or any other purpose, neither are 

 ' they sold for bait of a less size than two for each hook.' To prevent 'any 

 1 rash selling of seed 5 a royalty of 3d. per heaped cran basket is payable to 

 the proprietor. ' The committee in exercising this permission are requested 

 ' to be careful not to impoverish the grounds, but keep a sufficient supply 

 1 of bait always for the use of the members.' * 



This permission of selling seed has only been exercised once, when the 

 Society received £50 for seed sold from the Scalp. 



Altogether the Society is fortunate in having such an intelligent manager 

 as Mr James West, who accompanied one of the writers in his 



* Rules and Regulations of the Ferryden and Usan Fishermen's Society. 



Market value of mussels on Rossie ground, 

 allowing three years to remove the crop, 

 Estimated saving on 



1st year's sale, .... 



2nd year's sale, . 



3rd year's sale, .... 



