2 
OTSXEE CUITTJUE COMMISSION—MINUTES OP EA’IDENCE. 
Mr. F. J. 
Gibbins. 
-when you got them? Yes. 
23. Son. J. B. Wilson.l Were they full-grown — that is to say, four years old- 
21. Chairman.'] Were they growing high up on the rocks ? Yes. 
25. And when put down on the ground they fattened, but did not grow ? Yes. 
6 Nor., 18/6. 26. Is not that contrary to all experience—Is it not the case that women and children Iviiock them oil' the 
rocks and send them away to persons who fatten them for eating? Y'es, I do the same; but I under¬ 
stood you to refer to tlie oysters which grow high up on the rocks. 
2/. I do not mean those only which grow on the highest rocks — what I wish to know is whether oysters 
growing on the rocks will not grow larger if placed^in good ground. I do not mean the very small oysters 
such as are called Tom Thumb oysters, stunted in their growtli. Oysters sticking to rocks, i'f moved would 
not they fatten? Oh yes ; I thought you rcfciTcd to the stunted oysters. 
28. Have you formed any opinion respecting the spawning of oysters—do they spawn all the year round? 
Yes, every month in the year. 
2D. Ho they spawn during some months more than in others ? Y’es. 
30. Can you give us any idea of the percentage of the oysters which spawn at one time in one oyster bed? 
INo, I cannot. 
31. There have been many theories on the subject. Some say that not more than 2 per cent, spawn, 
others say 10 per cent. ? I have formed iio idea. 
32. But you are aware that oysters have a large number of spat in the water? Yes. I have cut out a 
number of paragraphs from jnipers at dilferent times, but I find there is a great diflerouce in the quan¬ 
tities given, 
33. Ho you think the percentage of breeding oysters in a l)ed is greater than the percentage of breeding 
sheep or cows on a cattle station ? Yes, sir. 
34. AYhat data have yon for forming that opinion? The only ground I have for thinking so is from M'hat 
I have noticed in one place, especially on the Ilawkeshury Biver, where we threw over some ballast stones 
^stones with notbing on them—in order to see the set of lh(> spawn on them. 
35. And from the observations yon tlicn made you came to the conclusion that the percentage is greater 
than that of breeding sheep or cows ? I think so, but I have bad lio means of ])n)ving it with any 
accuracy. id j 
36. Are you aware tliat an oyster is said to produce a minimum numher of ciglit or ton hundred thousand 
spat, and some naturalists arc of opinion that the number is six or eight millions ? I have beard so. The 
breeding deneuds greatly upon the state of the water while they are spawning. 
37. Is not the opening of the oyster the best eriterion—Have you even seen"inore than one or two out of 
a hundred that were spawning sliowing what arc termed ilie white or black sickness, wliich are diftereut 
stages of spawning? Yes, I think L have. 
A\Ydl, of course I have never opened such a (pianlily at a time ; 
but A\lien 1 have been on the Hawkesbury llivcr, I have found nearly every oyster spawning; wiieii they 
^\cle openetl the spawn would run away from them. On one occasion, on the Hawkesbury Biver, almost 
every oyster was spawning — as soon as yuu tuucbed it Ibc milk would run away from it. 
30. Then do you think it would bo (lesirable to have a close season for oysters ? jNo, sir. 
do. lion. J. B. JVikon.] Is there not a greater percentage of spawning in some mouths of the year than 
111 others ? Yes, about Christmas time. 
41. Although the oysters spawn all the year round ? Y^es. 
42. iSupposing you took the month of June, would you iind a largo proportion of 03 ''sters in a spav 
state at that time? Y’’es, in some rivers. In the Clarence and Clyde Bivers the oysters are at their 
all the winter. 
43. Chairman.] Ho they vary so much ? 
really splendid all the winter. 
44. But if there is such a very large proportion of oysters spawning at one time — nearly every one as you 
say—would it be undesirable to close tliat portion of the river for a time only ? I should not think it 
desirable to have any close season here at all. 
4o. AVhy ? On account of the (juantity of oystei's wc have. 
46. But avo they wholesome as food when they arc in a state of sickness ? They arc what we call watery 
then; I do not consider them tit for food. 
iWfZ tlo 'lot consider it advisable to have a close season, on account 
bnvo P anything like the (luautity we ouglit to 
I first took charge of the rivers. 
I Clyde Bivers the oysters are at their best 
They vary very much ; the oysters from the Clarence Biver arc 
Well, as far as I am concerned I tliink’l may say that I hav'e three times the'(| uantity I had when 
48. But AVO are talking ot the spawning, and you o‘iv( 
as a reason that there should bo no close season, the 
don’t see any occasion for a 
quantity of oysters? Well, if there is a uiarketlbr them in thebvintcr* I' 
close season. 
Ciu-istmas as the time that they are principally spawning: that month 
thev be Oi 'tl? 1 I’oally fat, for of course they do not spawn unless 
they are fat. On the Hawkesbury River I can commence with January and iinish with January, and give 
you really good, fat, marketable oyster.s all the year round. ^ o 
r?‘ fin by®*".? I cannot'get tliem f,-om one hod I can from the other, 
ol. \VIncb are the three rivers i YTewcastle, Broken Jhay, and the Clyde Biver. 
52. If you cannot get them from one place you are certain to get them from another—if thev are not 
spawning in one river they are sure to be in the other ? Yes. ^ 
53. Have you ever made any attempt to collect the spat by means of wood or stone placed in the rivers P 
JYo ; in fact I am so situated, on the Hawkesbury Biver especially, that i have no occasion for aiiv artifi’ 
cial means of collecting it. ^ 
54. There is such an enormous quantity of spat sticking on to the rocks ? Yes. 
00 . And you employ persons to knock it off the rocks, and^hen you plant it ? Yes. 
56. Are the banks of the Hawkesbury Kiver covered with spat the same as those of the ihuTamalta and 
Clarence Itivers ? Yes, only thicker; from the time you enter it, just up LoJig Reach <;oiu<>' no the river 
you may say there arc 100 miles u'ith nothing but rocks with the spat stiekiim to them ° ^ ’ 
sbYry’’' "'‘Tb’i ns I'l liiiglaud, where the great difficulty is in securing the 
spat. it Avould, but are tlieir oysters the same as ours ? 
rn' doubt ot it ? 1 am given to understand that they are only mud oysters. 
oy. Have you suflicient tattening ground for the whole of the oysters on the rocks r Yes. 60. 
