OYSTEH CULTmE commission—MINUTES OP ETIDEKCE. 
7 
182. It} tlicrc any difTcrciice between tlio oysters got on tlto sliorcB hero and tliosc obtained in tlio J. 
C'hanncl ? No, they arc jimt the same ; the Tasmanian, A\^eBtern Port, and Cliesapcakc Pay oysters, and Pinei'son. 
tlio Jersey oysters of the south part of New Zealand, are all the satne oysters. Tlic strangest'thing with 
regard to the mud oyster is, that if you go south of the 39=’ of latitude in New South AVales, and across to ^ 
New Zealand and right through that Colony and to the south of it, you will not find the rock oyster—they 
are all mud oysters. In Auckland, New Zealand, the shell is of a flinty description. 
183. Will tliose oy.stcrs keep for any length of time f No, wlien they Iiavo been tliirty-six hours out of 
the water they open their mouths. 
181. And liow long will the rock oysters keep ? I have known rock or drift oysters to lie exposed for a 
period of six Mccks. 
185, AVithout being spoilt? AVithout being spoilt, but alive then. 
180. One will not keep for more than thirty-six hours, and tlie other you have known to keep for six 
weeks ? Yes, that is my experience. 
187. AVith respect to the spawning of oysters, Mr. Emerson, have you formed any idea as to the number 
of oysters si)awning at one time at the same place ? No ; it all depends ui)on the condition of the oyster at 
the time ; if the oyster is in good condition and the weather is favourable it will spawn, but I think the 
time of spawning is greatly regulated by the Aveather. 
188. The object of ni}" ([uestion was to ascertain, if possible, Avhat percentage of oysters arc spawning at 
the same time and on the same bed ? T don't tliink the oysters on any one bed spaAvu at the same time. 
Yon may take a bunch of oysters and find that one is spawning and the other is not. 
189. Do you think it is necessary i,o have a close season ? I think not. 
190. Are there certain months iii tlie year only Avhen oysters spawn, or do they spaAA'u all the year round? 
They are continually spaAvning. 
191. All the y'car round f 1 think so. In fact I hji\e opened clusters of oysters and found one good and 
the other Avatery. 
192. You sell oysters all the year round. From the 1st January to the 31st December? Yes. 
. 193. And you think a close season Avould be of no advantage? I do not think it Avould. 
191'. J£on. J: B. Wilson.'] Do you think that all full-growu oysters spawn every year? No, I think not. 
195. AYell, Avhat percentage of them spawn ? I belieA'e they all spaAVu Avheu- they come to maturity, but 
the time of spaAvning greatly depends upon the state of the Aveather. 
196. That has a great deal to do Avith it no doubt, ami a good deal of spat may bo lost ; but Avhat I Avish 
to knoAv is, whether you hnvo CAmr found in opening oysters that the Avliolo of them Avere spawning—that 
is, Avere sick and unlit for food? No. 
197. I am desirous of having your opinion, because it is the opinion of men experienced in oyster culture iu 
England, that not more than ten out of every hundred spawn in the same year ? I do not think they can 
have the same species of oyster at Home, becauHC there avc liiid that the mud oysters are only healthy and 
eatable and in their prime iu the cold weather, and they must certainly spawn iu the summer, Avhile'these 
largo oysters arc iu their Avorst condition iu (lie Avintcr months. 
198. 1 think you are mistaken as to the time these largo oysters arc lit for cousumptiou in England. They 
are the only oysters that are eaten during the summer; it'is only during the summer months that they 
can dredge for them. But it is not Avitli reference to England, but to tliis Colony. Is it not a fact that 
during the Avhole year there arc ahvays good oysters in abundance, so that you have no occasion to throAv 
thorn aAvay because of their spaAvniug ? Oh, yes. A\^e had oue season Avhcu for fifteen months oystei’s 
could not be used in the Clarence Eiver. 
199. Erom Avhat cause? AVell, it avus from some cause Avhich Ave could not make out at all. Then there 
Avere other seasons Avhen Ave Avorked the beds for eighteen moutlxs, and the oysters Avere in good condi¬ 
tion all the time. 
200. AVero there floods,—Avas there a great deal of fresh Avatcr during that time? No; it Avas rather a 
cold Avinter, It has been just the same Avith the Queensland oyster beds. During one season they could 
be Avorked for fifteen months continually, and then a bad season Avould folloAV. 
201. Then you tliink there is no occasion for a close season iu this country ? I think not, because there 
is no SpaAvning season here, and if you closed the rivers for six months avIicu the young spat Avas formed 
you Avould he unable to make use of it. 
202. You think there is no more occasion for a_close season for oystei’s than for sliccp or cattle ? I think 
not. I do not think, if you took: any of tlic riAXi's, that you could determine the close season for tAvo 
years ; you could only see that a projior insxicction Avas made to shoAV Avlicther the oysters Avere in a healthy 
condition. 
203. Have you any idea of the quantity of spawn that a motlier oyster Avill pi’oduce ? No. 
201. Home say as much as a million, and some even more ? You could not make any calculation of that 
sort here, because during a cold or unfavourable season a great ])art of the spat would be destroyed. 
205. Don't you thinlc this is a very favourable climate for spawning ? Yes. 
206. Have you had any experience in oyster culture'iii England ? No. 
207. Have you made any experiments in forming artificial bods for laying doAvn oysters ? No, Ave have no 
occasion to do that here; avc have such large quantities of spat lying about — any quantity of it can be 
collected. 
208. Have you a large quantity of this spat on the banks of the George’s lliver ? Yes. 
209. The banks arc covered Avith it more or less all along tlie coast ? Y'es, except in places Avhere there 
is sand; AvhorcAxr there is a chanco for spat to adliere to anything Ave find it. 
210. And in Port Jackson tliere is a A'ast extent of spat also ? Yes. 
211. And no use is made of it ? None whatever. You can go up Middle Harbour and find any quantity 
of it. 
212. Aiul if iliis spat AA’Cre put on to good breeding ground it Avould grow and produce fat oysters? Yes. 
213. Then is there not a very great waste iu this Colony, since this spat is not collected and put iu good 
Ki-ouuJ, It is not perhaps felt at the present time, but if they go on Avorking the beds they must die out? 
i^es. 
214. Do you see any objection —I do not Avish you to answer this question if you think it may prejudice 
your interests—to the Government giving licenses to persons whose business it Avouldbe to collect oysters 
li'om the rocks for the purpose of soiling them to oyster growers and fatteners ? I think it Avould bo the 
proper course. 
215. 
