OYSTER CULTURE COMMISSION—MINUTES OF EYIUENCE. 
19 
many poor oysters after spawaiing time. On the Clarence River they generally spawn in the winter, but Mr. P. James, 
last season was an exception, and we got fat oysters from the Clarence all the winter. 
529. Those were aged oysters I suppose—sufficiently matured to be sent to market? Tes, as fat as I 13Nov., 1876, 
have ever seen them. 
530. Rull-growni oysters, not young ones ? Yes, full-grown. 
531. Of what age do you think ? About four, between three and four years. 
532. Don’t you think that no oysters ought to be brought to Sydney for consumption until they are full- 
grown, that is to say four years old? I don’t think they ought to be, but stiU they are. 
533. You think there are a number of young oysters brought to Sydney ? There is no doubt of it. 
534. There cannot be much nourishment in them ? Some of them are very good, but of course if you 
wish to increase the beds tenfold you should keep tliem. Still I believe there is plcnly of nourishment 
in them and they are fat enough. 
535. Are there not plenty of small oysters which are mere skin and water? After spawning,that always 
sickens them. 
530. Arc not many of those oysters brought to Sydney for sale ? No, we don’t find a market tor them 
when they are in that state. 
537. But are there not many of these mere skin and water oysters sold in Sydney ? No, I don’t think 
there are many of them; the trade will tiot buy oysters that are not fit to eat. When they are skin and 
water we leave them where they are ; wo don’t fetch them in because the shopkeepers won’t buy them. 
538. Wliat ai'e the sizes of full-grown oysters in this country? They vary very much in size. Those 
from the Clarence River are very small. 
530. Would they pass through a 3-inch ring ? Yes, easily enough. 
540. Would they pass through a 2i-inch ring? Yes, nine-tenths of them would; they would almost go ^ 
through a 2-inch ring. 
541. Do you think it desirable that there should be some limit in respect to the size of oysters offered for 
sale in Sydney? I cannot sec how^ it could be done. 
542. Yoii are aware that in England the Corporations have pow’cr by their by-laws to make regulations 
which have the force of law in respect to the size of oysters; and that the usual limit is 2^ inches ; none 
smaller tlian that are allowed to be sold. That docs not apply to Jiatives ? They are not the same sort 
of oysters that we have here; ours never reach the size of the English oysters. 
543. Have you not seen as large oysters here as you have seen in England? No, except the mud oysters, 
and T have seen larger in England ; I have seen some from the Isle of Man that you would have to cut 
into four or five pieces before you could eat them. 
544. But you have sceii some large mud oysters from the rivers of this country ? Yes, but not so large 
as those I have seen in England. 
545. The mud oysters are you think a distinct species, quite different from the drift or rock oysters ? No 
doubt of it, altogether a different class of oysters. 
546. Wo have had exhibited on this table some very small oysters in which there could be very little 
nourishment. Now, is it desirable in your opinion that in any new Oyster Bill some provision should be 
made to put a stop to the sale of these very young oysters ? They certainly ought not to be sold, but it 
would be a very critical job to define the size. 
547 What mode of prevention would you suggest? I am sure I cannot tell without taking time to 
548^^ You say that nine-tenths of the oysters from the Clarence River would go through a 2|-inch ring. 
Now supposing it were decided to have a gauge, what size would you suggest for that river ? I think you 
would have to make a gauge lor each Hyer. i. n • * ■ u* u ^ 
549 Now you are a practical man. Will you suggest to the Commissioners the sizes which would apply 
to the rivers you know? I do not think, after mature consideration, that any gauge could be adopted— 
even a separate gauge for each river—as the oysters vary so much both in size and shape in the same 
nv0r 
550 Are there not a great many very small oysters not fit to bo served to customers, which are chopped 
up for bottUng ? No doubt of it iu the world. , , „ ,, , 
551 Well don’t you think, even supposing that these oysters are not actually unwholesome, it is almost 
kn affront to the public to soil oysters which have so little nourishment in them, which are mere skin and 
water ? Well, I suppose it is; but there are not so many that are skin and water. You are laying too 
much stress ou that, because there arc plenty of small oysters that are full of meat. It is not the size of 
the oysters you must look at, but the time when they are taken out. Still the small oysters would grow 
four times the size if they were left alone. ^ 
55*^ Now Erank Buckland, who is perhaps one of the greatest authorities on oysters m the world, says 
that the sale of these very small oysters ought to be prohibited, because they are unfit for food ? Well, I 
should not consider them so. , ,, , i • w xi i • i. i. i.i i k 
553. But you think it desirable that there should be some legislation on the subject, to prevent the sale of 
55^ IBive you fomed any opinion with respect to the spawning of oysters ? Well, the only opinion 1 
have formed is that we have a great deal to learn on the subject. We see them spawning in November in 
some rivers—at Port Stephens for instance. Tlien again, we sometimes see oysters aU through tJie season 
so poor tliat they are not likely to spawn at all, while in other places they are tat and perfectly fit to be 
555^.^Vou think that spawning is going on in certain oyster beds all the year round ? I believe there are 
a certain portion H])a\vning all the year round. 
55G Tiara. J. R JPi'tort.] In the same rivers? Yes, in the same rivers. . ^ i 
557 G/iairman.l Now when this spawning is going on, there are always some oysters not spawning on the 
same river? Yes, there arc still places where good fat marketable oysters are to be had all the time the 
others are spawning. . , j m 
558 Have you any idea what percentage of spawning oysters there ait; in a river or a bed—lU per cent, or 
2 per cent. ? 1 siiould say there are sometimes 50 per cent, spawning together. 
559. Do you mean in one river or in one bod ? In one bed ol a river. 
560. Not in the whole river ? No. . ■ . o 
561 And there are other parts of the river where there is no spawning going on r les. 
