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For taking the mussels on the beds, and for getting the small 
mussels in the channel, rakes are used. For bank work the rakes 
have a 1G feet shaft. The iron T piece bearing the teeth is bent 
round at each end, and again to form the terminal tooth. An iron 
hoop connects it and the shaft, and between these a net is stretched. 
There are seventeen teeth altogether, seven or eight inches long, at 
intervals of two inches. For channel work the shaft is longer — 22 
feet. 
The principal natural enemies are the “ cross ” or “ star ” fish, 
and the “ white buckies ” or “ dog whelk.” The ground is leased 
from the Dun Estate for £500 a year. 
The banks on the north side of the Esk are leased by a 
remarkable, and at the same time, a most successful association of 
fishermen, whose origin for the purpose of providing themselves 
with bait, is evidently due to the Messrs. Johnston, likewise. They 
paid £100 to the proprietor until recently, but Messrs. Johnston, I 
understand, have now bought the ground, and the rent will now be 
paid to them. By thus co-operating the fishermen of Ferryden and 
Usan, obtain mussels at a very cheap rate. 
In both cases the seed is obtained from the river, and carried up 
to the bed selected, being usually deposited “ on the top of high 
water,” and the mussels are usually transplanted into deeper water 
at a subsequent period. 
The right has never been a matter of difficulty at all. The 
mussels arc not interfered with. But the fisher people — women 
especially — do a great deal of harm often gathering “ wilks ” 
(periwinkles). In gathering the periwinkles, they tread down a 
great many mussels, but the Messrs. Johnston have so far only 
threatened to take them to court, or have occasionally taken the 
periwinkles from them. 
Eden Mussel Beds. — The banks on the south side of the river 
belong to the town of St. Andrews, those on the north side, the 
“ Leuchars beds ” to private owners. Both are of considerable 
extent. The river is very deep in one part opposite the beds, but 
on the whole spat settles well in the channel, and, unlike Montrose, 
it is allowed to grow there to bait size. The rest of the spat is taken 
from the higher and shoreward parts of the banks, at 2-8 years old, 
and removed to suitable places near the channel where it requires 24-8 
years before it reaches a bait size, The sales fluctuate according to 
the state of the beds, as may be seen in the evidence of the Manager 
to the Government Committee. This year they had reached up to 
