10 
OYSTER CULTURE COilMISSION—MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. 
Mr. G. 2oB, AVitli respect to the spawning oi' oysters, lia.vo you formed any theory ou tlic subject—A\'hclher they 
Clarko. spawn all the year round, or only (luring certain luontiis?.! believe Ihey spaAvn at various times in 
various jdaees : that is to say, they do not all spawn at the same time in the same rivers. 
ION'ot., 1876. 256. Do you think that in any place they spawn all the year round—every month? More or less they 
do. 
257. Tlicy spawn more or less during every moi\tli of the year? I could not say that they spawn every 
month, but they sjjawn at various periods in the year. 
258. Of course they spa>Mi more during certain months of the year than in others? Yes. 
259. Wliat are the months during which, in your ojiinion, tlie spauming chiefly takes place ? My expe¬ 
rience leads me to helievc tliat they spawn principally during the months of March and April. 
260. Docs that apply to certain rivers or to the Colony generally? I think it is the case in all tlic rivers, 
except about two or three. 
261. Do you think i*. is desirable on that account tliai there shonhl bo a close season—that no oysters 
should be sold during March and April ? 1 do not see what would ]>c the advantage of a close season. 
262. You think that tlierc arc always abundance of good oysters to be had which are not spawuiiiig during 
those mouths ? Yes, largo quantities of thepi. 
263. As in the case of sheep and cattle, nltlumgh the ew^es may he lambing and tlie cows calving at certain 
seasons, still there is always a supply of good moat? Yes, it is just the same. 
264 Yoxi think it is quite as ajiplieable to oysters as to slieep and cattle ? Exactly so. 
265. And that there are as many good oysters in proportion as there are sheep and cattle suitable for 
food? Quite so. 
266. Are there not a great many very small oysters ])rouglit into Sydney for sale? Well, since the rivers 
wore leased by the Government there arc not so many sent in. 
267. But formerly there were a great many miniature oysters brought into town, were there not? A 
great many. 
268. AVhi(;h were not ht for food ? Oh they were ])erfeetiy good for food, hut not being large were 
unsaleahle ; they were sound and good enough to eat, hut inferior on account of their size. 
269. It is stated in England u])on good authority tliat these small oysters arc not good for food—tliat 
they are skinny and watery ? Then it is heeause they are out of season. 
270. It is not ou account of their being young then ? Oli no ; I could show you small oysters which arc 
veiy fat and good. 
271. Is not tliat l.iecaiise they arc on a good fattening ground, in the same way that lamlis are fat ? Yes, 
IK) doubt it depends upon the ground tliey come from. ‘ You will iijul that, however small, Ihey are as fat 
as the large oysters. 
272. They are something like wliat arc termed natives’’ in England ? Yes. 
273. AVhat size are these small oysters—would tlicy pass througli a 24iuch ring? Yes, they arc smaller 
than that. I should say tliey would go tlirougdi a iidneh ring; that would he a fair medium size. 
271. Are you-not aware that in many parts of England oysters are not allowed to be sold if they will pass 
tlirougli a 2^-ineh gauge? I was not aware of the size of it. 
275. That does not apply to natives? 1 believe the native is the smallest oyster they have in England. 
276. These very young or small oysters that come into Sydney arc not generally sold in the trade—they 
are used chiefly for w'hat is termed “ chopping up,” and for tlie bottling trade—is it not so? That all 
depends upon w'hat kind of oysters you arc working ou. 8omc of the oysters, when full crown, are not 
very large oysters. 
277. Still they would not pass through a 21-inch ring ? Y’es, tliey would pass tlirougli a smaller ring. 
278. Those I was chiefly alluding to are the half-starved oysters which Mr. Erank Buckland—a great 
authority on the subject—defines as “ mere skiu and water.” Are they not, when bouglit by the merchants, 
chopped up for bottling ? Ko, it would not pay to chop up oysters of tliat kind ; we use tlie largest and 
finest oysters for that purpose, the small ones would be useless for bottling. AVo should ouly think of using 
tliem in a time of great scarcity, as they are entirely out of season. At the same time there are always 
pleutj of oysters in season : we can get good oysters all the year round. 
279. Now, with respect to the leasing of these rivers and estuaries from the Government, liave you 
formed any opinion as to the best policy to be pursued in tlie interests of the public,—is it desirable to 
lease them in large blocks or in small areas? I cannot see what would be the good of small areas. I 
took up one small portion on the Clarence Elver myself, and I never saw it. I paid my money, but tlicre 
were no oysters on it, and it was no good to me. 
280. But if it were rich ground could you not liavc improved it by laying down oysters upon it ? It 
would not pay a small man to do that, unle.ss he had the lease of such a place for fifty years. 
281. Now that is coming to the point I wish to arrive at. if you could lease these mud flats for a longer 
period, would that not bo an inducement to take them and expend capital upon them ? AA^hciKJ slionld we 
get the stuff to lay down on them ?—tlie man alongside of me might have a good patch, and my men 
might take his oysters to lay down on my ground. 
282. If the law were not sufficiently stringent to prevent larceny it ought to bo made so. lam asking 
you whether, if these rich fattening grounds were let for a longer period, it would not bean inducement to 
capitalists to stock them? AVIiat precaution should I have against floods ?—they would destroy all my 
capital. I might lay dowm 20,000 bags and in twenty-four liours the whole of them might be destroyed. 
283. AYe have a great many farms on low-lying lands, subject to floods, and they manage to get good crops 
off them? Yes, because they get a crop in a few months, whereas Avith oysters we should liave to Avait 
for years. 
2S4. But tlie floods Avould only bring fresh Avatcr;—Avould that injure the oyster-beds so much? Yes. I 
could mention oue bed at Port Macquarie Avdiich has been destroyed twice Avithiu the lease. Every bag 
that has come out of it has cost £o or upAvards. That is only one pkcc. There is the Manning Biver also 
Avhich is also subject to floods; there is an oyster bed at the bar, oue of the finest 1 over saw, Avhicli has been 
destroyed for the second or third time. 
5^5, AYhat is the nature of the beds ;—are they composed of blue clay, soft to the touch, like soft-soap ? 
Not quite so soft as that, but something similar; but the one ou the Maniiiug bar is a sandy bottom. 
2Sij. Oysters do not fatten there, do they ? Oh, yes j no oysters could exceed those that come froui that 
bed, in any part of the Avorld. 
287. 
I 
