OXSTEU CULTUEE COilltlSSIOX—^MINUTES OF EVIBENCE. 
17 
473. And you think that as a rule tlicy spawn chiefly in March and April? Either iiiMarch or April; 
that is about the time I believe the bulk of them spawn, and they remain poor all the winter. 
474. Chairman^ Have you done anything to secure the spat, as is done in Europe, by putting down piles ^ 
of hurdles or other material ? IS; o, we have not put down anything on purpose, but we have plenty of 
475. You consider that unnecessary on account of the large quantitj^ of spat to be found clinging to the 
rocks and mangroves ? That is it, sir. ^ ^ ■ i r* i j.i 
476. If you require any oysters to plant, there is always an innumerable quantity to be found on the 
roclis? Yes, without adopting any artificial means to catch them. 
477. AV^ill you be so good as to give us your opinion as to the propriety of licensing persons on rivers— 
rivers of course not under lease, so as not to interfere with private rights—to collect oysters from the 
rocks and to sell them to those who have suitable ground to put them on. In this way those persons who 
are now stealing oysters in the Parramatta Elver might have remunerative employment ? If you ask my 
advice I think you might license a great number of persons to get these oysters from certain places as 
far up^as Ball’s Head, Lane Cove Eiver, and the upper part of the Parramatta Eiver. There are a number 
of small families who would make a good living at it; none of the big buyers would have anything to do 
478. {Supposing every oyster on the hanks of the rivers were knocked off annually, so that not one 
remained, woidd not that interfere with the trade? Not unless they were destroyed. 
479. But don’t you think the whole of the spat on the banks comes from the oysters in the middle of the 
fiver_in the deep water ? "Why should not it come from those on the rocks, where we know there are 
oysters spawning ? x i. o 
480. Well, if you ask me the question, I should say because these oysters do not come to maturity r' 
There are as fine oysters as you could wish to see on the rocks. 
481. Even those that are dry and above low-water-mark ? Yes ; on Mr. Josephson’s property there is a 
high corner at Waterviow Bay whore there are some extraordinarily fine oysters, and as well-flavoured 
as you could desire. Mr. Josephson sold about 400 bags of them a little while ago—a large crop for his 
little bit of beach; there is no great extent of it, not more than a mile or a mile and a half. 
482. Mon. J. Af. Wilson.^ That is at Lane Cove ? Yes, Lane Cove ; it is not his own property. 
483. Chairmnn!] Do you think the plan of licensing men to collect oysters from the rocks, in the same 
way that timber-cutters are licensed, would be attended with any risk of stealing? No, I don’t think 
there would be any greater risk ; if they want to steal them they will steal them ; they are doing it now 
without a license ; it they had a license I should say they would not have the same inducement to steal. 
I think something should' be done either by license or lease on the Parramatta Eiver. 
484. Mr. Farnell.'] Would you give the men license to knock off oysters in front of private property ? 
Weil, it is almost all private property. If they don’t go in front of private property where are they to 
go ? I can’t see any objection ; if the owner thinks he has a right to it, of course it is a matter for the 
Government to decide. . i 1 i i i *t -x- xi. 
485. Ron, J, B. Wilson.'} You have stated that you considered it advisable to have a law prohibiting the 
sale of small oysters—Is there any particular age to which you would limit the oyster ? You cannot tell 
by the age of the oysters ; in times of drought they will remain stationary for six or eight or even twelve 
inonths,andallof a sudden they will spring out and grow more in three months than they have done 
during eighteen or twenty-four months previously. i o t -i x j 
486. Can you not tell the age of an oyster by the shell pretty nearly ? Yes, I can pick up an oyster and 
487 %o°you^think^it^woul^^ be advisable to determine by legislation that no oysters should be sold under 
four years of age ? No ; there are plenty of places where oysters are full-grown at eighteen months. 
488 Mr Famell} Some oysters then became eatable at eighteen months ? Yes. 
489. Do you know at what age the oyster spawns? I do not. All the knowledge I possess on the 
subject is'^from reading ; I believe they spawn at three years of age, but I cannot say whether that is 
49™Do you^think it desirable to sell oysters until you have had one spawning season from them ? If 
there were a great quantity of oysters in a river it might be desirable to get nd of a number of them ; 
but if there were a scarcity it would be advisable to keep the oysters and let them spaw. If there are 
more oysters than the beds will feed it is advisable to get rid of some of them, the same as with cattle on 
a run. 
491 Should not we be more likely to perpetuate the oyster by insistmg, by law% that no oysters should be 
sold until they had had at least one spawning season? I cannot see how you could prove ^diether they 
bad spawned or not. If you want to increase the number of oysters, of course it would be advisable to let 
them spa\Mi first—most undoubtedly it would. „ ,, <> *+i 
490 Chairman 1 Have you any idea what percentage of oysters from a bed spawn Supposing there were 
one'million oysters on a bed, have you any idea how many out of the million would spawn in the course of 
..spawning l . , 
fell Avhether an oyster was spawning by lifting it up. ^ ^ j 4. o t i r 4-i. 
495. Ron. J. B. Wilson!] Can you tell how many oysters in a bed are in the same state . I believe they 
■'^'ould all be in the same slate. , , ^ , • x x* o t 
496. Chairman.] It is said in England that not more than 10 per cent, arc spawning at the same tune ? I 
^m not able to answer that question. , , i* i x 4 . i 4 - * 4 . 4 -i i j 
497. Ron J B. Wilson.] Do you tliiuk, as a rule, that the lessees are carefulnot to detenorato the beds 
i’es, I could show you that we have very strict rules. Our men never take anything away except the 
oysters-they throw everything over; they are not allowed to carry away an ounce weight of anything. 
408. But do you put anything down to replace or improve the beds ? No, but we don t take anytliing 
499. Supposing a flood comes down and a large quantity of mud settles on the bed and diminishes its 
power of catching spat? But the mud does not remain on the oyster beds. 1 iia\e been o\er many of 
fbem, and I find that the natural beds arc a hard substance like marl. 
23—C 
500 . 
