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one recognized the necessity when considered in the abstract.- 
I have seen numbers of dredgers at work and the police boat 
cruising among them, and this was during the latter part of 
August, when, if at any time, the oysters should have been 
free from disturbance. Before deciding upon the measure of 
protection to be given to the beds, it may be well again to see 
what has been accorded by foreign governments, and with 
what success. On the Schleswig-Holstein banks the “ close, 
time ” is from the 9th of May to the 1st of October ; no oys- 
ters less than two and a half inches in length are removed at 
any time. The law is enforced, and still the beds are dete- 
riorating. In Ireland the “ close time ” is from May 1st to* 
September 1st, and in some localities of the coast from the 
1st of April and the 1st of March until the 1st of October 
and the 1st November. It is unlawful to dredge or have in 
possession any oysters or oyster brood during the “ close time.’ y 
The Inspector of Fisheries can call a meeting of interested! 
persons to decide upon a change of “close time.” Inspec- 
tors are empowered to permit the planting of oysters and 
to prohibit the presence of dredgers on board any boat dur- 
ing the close time. The coast guard and constabulary are 
empowered to enforce the laws, and violators are suitably 
punished. The deep sea fisheries for oysters in the English 
Channel are governed by rules adopted by England and 
France. The close time is from the 16th of June to the 31st 
of August. Any boat having a dredge or other implement 
used for taking oysters during that time is considered as hav- 
ing violated the law. Competent courts of each country have 
power to punish offenders, and the cruisers of each nation 
power to enforce the law, which is strictly observed by the 
French fishermen and frequently violated by the English. 
In France the oyster beds are protected by stringent and 
effective laws, which may be briefly stated as follows : The 
government assumes control over all oyster banks and fore- 
shores. As occasion may seem to require, an entire bank or 
part of it may be reserved from dredging for a certain time, 
decided by the local commission. The general practice seems 
to be to buoy off a third or fourth of a bank each year, which 
