OTSTP.n OTOTTOE COl^r^^tTSSTOy—MINUTES OP EYIDEKCE. 
11 
287. Wliere the oyster beds are subject to floods there is no inducement to incur the risk ; but are there 
not many places where tliere is good laying ground which is not subject to the action of floods ? There is 
no place in the Colony where the rivers are not subject to floods periodically. 
2S8. Enough to destroy the oyster beds ? Yes, to destroy them for years. 
280. Then you do not think there is much ground for artificial culture ? No, not artificial. 
290. Y’on have no doubt observed in maiiyparts of Port Jackson and in some of the rivers that the rocks are 
completely plastered with rock oysters ? Yes, there is no place for that like our harbour of Port Jackson ; 
but our rivers are not like tliat—in some of them the oysters attacli themselves to tlio mangroves. 
291. Now if these young 03 ^sters were removed from the rocks or mangroves and laid down on rich mnd, 
would they not produce ricli and good oysters ? Well, I liave laid oysters in that way in some two or 
three rivers, and they have never come to much—they have not grown a very great deal. 
292. Put if they Iiad remained whore they were, on the rocks or mangroves, they never would have come 
to perfection ? Oh, yes ; they come to great perfection ou tlic rocks if they are left there. 
293. Those high up on the rocks do not come to much ? Of course they are not so good as those that are 
covered by the water, but tlie small ones will become large. 
291. Not if they are very high up ou the rocks? Yes; althougli they are scarcely ever touched by the 
water they will grow to a good size, more especially on the Parramatta Itivcr. Mr. .1 osephson had some 
on his estate, some of the finest I Iiave seen, and tlic water scarcely ever touched tlicm. 
295. Were the fish good and well flavoured? Yes ; there i.s notliiug so sweet as a first class rock oyster. 
296. Tliat may be a solitary case. Is it applicable to all the rivers with wliich you are acquainted—do 
the oysters which grow high up on the rocks come to ])crfectiou ? Yes, they come to perfection, but they 
are not so good as those whicli are covered with water. 
297. Now, supposing there were licensed oystermen wlio would knock ofi' the small oysters from the rocks 
and sell them to those who would lay them on good ground, ivould not tliose oystei*s come to much greater 
])erfection than tliey could ou tlio rocks ? Not having seen any of that kind of culture I could not say. 
298. Havo you had any experience in oyster culture in England ? Never. 
299. Put you have read that tlie celebrated Wliitstable oysters arc fixe-sixths of them purchased in large 
and small numbers from men, women, and cbildreu, who collect them and tlien laid down to grow? Yes, 
])utthere is 80 much difieronco in the species and class between the oysters in England and those in 
New Soutli Wales. 
800. You tliiiik there is a difference in tlie species between tlie oysters in tliis country and those in 
England ? YY'S. 
801. In what respect do tliey differ? In size and make, and in the hardness of shell. I have seen 
nothing like the English oysters except those we used to get from tlie Parramatta Eiver some years ago— 
mnd oysters. 
802. Eo not they resemble what are called the Channel oysters in England, or those that are artificially 
cultivated ? Not so much ; but we used to liave oysters ou the Parramatta which very mucli resembled 
tlie English natives—tliey were not much larger. That is not very long ago; but they have wholly 
deteriorated since then. There were beds and beds of tlioin. 
803. How many years have you been in the trade ? Thirty years. 
801. Eo you find much change in the beds ? In what respect ? 
805. ILave they been seriously injured by dredging ? They were some years ago. 
806. That is to say, tliere is nothing like the quantity of oysters ou their natural beds that there were tliirty 
years ago—is that the case ? Well, I see no difference. I think we liave as many oysters now as we had 
thirty years ago. AYe keep turning out tlie same quantity year after year. 
807. Then you think that what has been said about the bods being exhausted by over-drodging is not the 
fact? AVeil, it Avas supposed tliat when the rivers were leased liy tlie Government they Av'ore in a very 
low stale, and we know by experience that there was nothing in some of them. 
808. T1k\v had been injured tbon at that lime? Y'^es ; for instance, in the. George’s Eiver there wns 
nothing, and I rememher when two men in my .employ, who went to California, used to bring me as many 
as 40 bushels of oysters of immense size, and in those days they uscal to be burneil for lime in thousands 
of bushels, as Avell as used for food. 
309. Then George’s Eiver is one that has been seriously injured by over-dredgiiig, and the oysters liave 
also been used for improper purposes ? Yes. 
810. And have other rivers been similarly injured? Yes, the Newcastle Eiver. 
811. Any other rivers ? Those are two of the chief. 
812. The ruT-rs you leased from the Government had a rest for some time, had they not ? They were 
supposed to liave, but tlic oysters were sold just the same. 
813. Then the rest was no advantage to you? No, rather the reverse. 
814. It would luiA'C been better for you to have had your lease before the rest ? Yes. 
815. Arc all the rivers in tiie Colony subject to floods—there must be some in which the oysters are not 
liable to be destroyed in that Avay—arc there not places in the George’s Eiver Itigh up where they 
are not killed by floods? In George’s Eiver the oyster beds are pretty free from floods, and it alway^s 
Was so. 
816. And about Liverpool llie floods cannot be very liigli ? No, but I don’t tliiuk the oysters go as liigh 
np as Liverpool. 
817. Siqiposing that there arc rich flats available, do you not think it would be advantageous for the 
Govornineiit to let fhein in small blocks to persons who Avould ]nirchase spat and eultivate it—don’t you 
think ill that way wc sliould liave more mature oysters, that it Avouhl also give employment to a number 
nf persons and be the moans of* creating a valuable industry? I don’t tliink the time is ripe yet for 
artificial cultui’e. 
818. Have you any idea of the average number of oysters to one acre of ground? Not the slightest. 
819. AVould you think a million too many—it is said that one acre Avil! yield a million oysters. In 
England where a man has 4 or 5 acres he is considered rich. Now if the same system of culture were 
^'arried out iii this Colony, don’t you think it would be advantageous to the i}ublic ? I do not indeed, sir • 
I don’t think any one would take the trouble to go into it, so long as there is sneli a profusion of oysters 
in Ngav South Wales. 
^20. But are not some of the neighbouring Colonies dependent upon this Colony for their supply? Yes, 
tliat is upon New South AYalcs and Qucenslaiul. * 
Mr. Or, 
Clarie. 
10 Not., 18V 6. 
321. 
