OTSTER CJULTUBE COi£MISSIOK—MIKUTES OF EVIDENCE. 
41 
be kept; so m respect to the sale of oysters, a liccDsc would be necessary as well as a record of all oysters 
purchased. It these precautions w’crc carried out, do not you think oyster-stealing, and also the sale of I^’^°ghara. 
improper oysters, might be put a stop to ? Yes, I think so 
21 Nov., 187G. 
FRIDAY, 24 NOVEMBER, 1876. 
. IDrescnt:— 
IION. J. B. WILSON, I J. s. EAENELL, Esq. 
The Hon, THOMAS 1I0L1\ M.L.C., in the Chaiii. 
IMr. George llaiscr called iii and examined: — 
(Some jresh mmplcs oj opstcra were cxliihiied.) 
1391. Chairman.'^ Have you had any experience in oyster culture, Mr. llaiscr, either in this Colony or in Mr. G. Haiaer. 
Europe? Yes ; in this Colony. 
1392. Eor how long ? About twenty years. 24Nov 187G 
1393. In whatj)art of the Colony ? On the Clyde and Tuross Itivers, and on Durass Lake, and also on 
sir. 
sir. 
Ill a very poor state. 
- Very good,^ 
139(>. And wliat state ai‘e they in at the present time, as regards the oyster beds ? 
1397. They have fallen off very considerably during that time? Yes. 
1398. With regard to the quality of the oysters, are they equal now to what they were twenty years a^ro 
in size and meat ? The meat is equal and the dredge oysters are as large, but the bankers, wliieli nsed^tJ 
be as large as the dredge oysters, have lallcu oft a good deal, and are not nearly so lar^re now. 
1399. The object of my question uas, to ascertain wliether they arc inferior in (luality as well as in 
quantity, to what they were twenty years ago ? Yes. 
14(»0. And to what do you attribute this—to over-dredging? To taking them away constantly to market 
without saving the young ones. 
1401. Taking them to market before they were full-grown? Yes. 
Yea, the Clyde, Tuross, 
. i' ‘J. • , ■ ---> - -- exactly say 
liine-burmng accounts lor it. 
1405. Partly, I suppose ? Yea, partly. 
1406. Are all these rivers which you have mentioned leased at the present time ? 
and Durass Lake ; the Moruya and Tomago are closed, and also the Cullendulla. 
1407. What was the state of those rivers before they were leased? Very good. 
I40S. Then the leasees have not improved them, have they ? I cannot see it. 
1409. Are they in a worse state than they were when they were first leased ? AVcll I have not examined 
Ihein lately, and 1 could not say. ’ 
1410. Mr. Farnell'] Do you know as a matter of fact whether they are better or not ? No, I do not 
1411. Chairman.] Do you know whether the lessees have removed large quantities of oysters from them ? 
Yea, at times, when the market requires them they come in plentifully. 
1412. Can you tell the Commission what kind of oysters have been removed—Avere they full-n^rowii or 
Aery young ? All sizes. “ ” 
1413. Arc you aware that in England they have diflerent names for the oysters according to their size in 
the same Avay that cattle of different ages are called calves, heifers, steers, and so on; thus, oysters one 
year old are called spat, at tAvo years old they are called brood, at three years Avare, and oiily Avhen they 
are four ycar.s old arc they called oysters and considered marketable ? Yes. ^ ^ 
1414. Now, what age Avere those oysters that were removed by the lessees from the rivers you speak of? 
It Avould be rather a difficult matter for me to say. " ^ 
1415. Have there boon any brood or Avare, that is two or three year old oysters, taken away ? Yes, 1 
believe so. , 
1416. Have many of them been taken ? Yes. 
1417. And are there many taken away at the present time ? 1 could not be certain, without gouvr there 
to see ; but I know that Avhou I worked on the rivers before they Avere leased, there Avere very nice oysters 
growing on the rocks, and they have fallen off since, and are now something similar to the oysters now 
exhibited. The shells are very tender, luid you have to be very careful in taking them off. When they 
take them off tiiey don't look much to the age of the oysters, but how they can get a bag of them. 
1418. AVhat is the nature of the banks and beds of those rivers—are they rock or soil "ehiefiy ? There is 
gravel and mud and sand. 
1419. Are there many young oysters sticking to the rocks, Vhcrc there arc rocks, or to the maimrovcs 
in the swamps ? Yes. 
1420. A great many ? Yes. 
1121. Do the leasees make any use of thoiu ? If they are large enough they send them to market. 
1422. What do they consider largo enough or old enough ? Something similar to those uoav exhibited. 
1423. How old do you think they are Avhcii they send them to market? Well, to the southward they 
don’t breed so fast as they do to tlio northward. It would take fully five years on the Clyde before they 
could possibly be sent fo market. 
1424. Before they were full-grown ? Yes. 
1425. And do the lessees wait till they are live years old before they send them to market? I could not 
say that. 
1426. Can you give us any idea of the age of the oysters when they are removed from the rocks and 
mangroves ? It would be impossible for me to say Avithout continually Avatchiug them. 
1427. Well, now, as a rule are these spat Avhieh stick to the rocks and mangroves utilized ? AV'ell, when 
they Avork among those mangroves they smash these small oysters, so that they are Avasted. 
23—E 
/ ' 
1428. 
