60 
BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 
States, who could give his whole time to the work; who could 
not only scientifically investigate the needs of our own region, 
but also direct the work of private culturists. 
Oyster-culture has been tried in Acadia, but under many 
discouragements. Hon. Mr. Pope, in Kichmond Bay, Prince 
Edward Island, and Hon. Mr. Macfarlane, in Wallace Harbor, 
Nova Scotia, have had moderate success.* It has been tried, 
too, as Gaspe, at Bic and at Seven Islands, in Quebec, and in 
Passamaquoddy Bay, but these are Outside the range of 
the Oyster, and where the temperature is too low in summer 
for the development of the young. 
It is to systematic culture that the Oyster-industry must 
look for its future. France leads the world in Oyster-culture, 
England and Germany are far behind, and the United States 
comes last of all. This whole subject is too vast to be more 
than alluded to in this paper, but references to the more 
important works will be found below. Oyster-culture is 
carried to greatest perfection at Arcachon, in France. There 
are used elaborate means of arresting the Spat or young by 
providing clean, hard supports to which they may attach 
themselves. The latter are either tiles, faggots, old shells 
strung on wire or other similar devices. As soon as the young 
are from half an inch to an inch in diameter, they are removed 
and placed in artificial ponds in which their growth is care- 
fully watched until they are marketable, which occurs in from 
two to three years. They are usually fattened in special 
ponds. From this high state of culture down to the simple 
removal of the Oysters from the natural beds to places 
favorable for fattening or bloating them (as the case may be) 
for the market, there is every gradation. A thorough know- 
ledge of the subject is a study for a lifetime, a profession in 
itself. 
There is no doubt that the coasts of the Acadian Oyster- 
region are extremely well adapted for Oyster-culture. Almost 
* Mr. J. H. Duvar recently told the writer that,— “ Messrs. Pope’s Oyster-farm, 
at Squirrel Creek, Richmond Bay. ... is still in profitable existence. W. A. Pope 
died and the property went to his brother, Hon J. C. Pope Later, the 
Oyster-lot lay vacant for a long time, until bcught last year by Mr. Richards, who- 
works it profitably.” 
