7 
and tranquillity being tbereforo necessary, * * * he would like to try to breed oysters in a hot-house, 
with the temperature of the water up to 70 deg.” Such artificial contrivances may be expedient in England, 
but owing to the mildness of the Australian climate the moment the young oyster has fixed himself to a 
holding on place ho is perfectly safe, and only wants a favourable position to grow and develop; and 
Mr. Buckland in his evidence, describes an oyster as being, when born, an imago of his mother, shell and all; 
ho can open and shut liis shell, and has the power of volition. In England, oysters the first year of their age 
are called spat, when two years old they are called hrood, when three years old they are called ware, and it 
is not until they are four years old that they arc called oysters. 
The evidence above quoted as given before a Select Committee of the House of Commons, with 
respect to the failure and scarcity of spat, contrasts strikingly with the evidence given before this Com¬ 
mission a few months later as to the large production and unutilized superabundance of spat in this Colony. 
Mr. Qibhins (one of the lessees) says that ho never made any attempt to collect the spat by means 
of wood or stone placed in the rivers ; he had no occasion for any artificial means of collecting it, there 
is such an enormous quantity of spat sticking to the rocks. Erom the time you enter the Hawkesbury 
Elver you may say there arc 100 miles of nothing but rocks, and the spat sticking to them. 
Mr. J. Emerson (one of tlic lessees) ;—They have such largo quantities of spat lying about, any 
quantity of it can bo collected. Tlicy have largo quantities on the Greorge’s Eiver; the banks are covered 
with it, c.vcept Avhero there is sand. There ns also a vast quantity of spat in Port Jackson. You can go 
up Middle Harbour and find any quantity of it, and no uso is made of it. If it were put in good fattening 
ground it -would grow and produce good oysters. lie tliinks tliat we arc so prolifieally supplied people 
will not turn their attention to it. If wo did not get it wo should have to adopt artificial means, such as 
arc used in other countries. He thinks this profusion of young oysters is duo almost exclusively to the 
genial warmth of the climate. 
Mr. P. James :—Ho has never considered it necessary to go to any expense in securing spat, because 
there is plenty of spat to be had ^vithout it; the supply is almost inexhaustible; ho has noticed countless 
millions of oysters sticking to the rocks in Port Jackson. 
Mr. TV. II. Bell :—He has frequently observed how the rocks in the harbour of Port Jackson are 
plastered with spat. He has no doubt tliat it would be an advantage if this spat were carefully knocked 
off the rocks and planted. Tlic climate of this Colony is favourable to the cultivation of oysters. Ho 
was about twenty or twenty-two years of age wdien he left Whitstahle. He has %ccn a good deal of the 
working of that Company; they breed only a small portion of the oysters they fatten; they purchase 
brood and ware at various places. At low spring tides there arc a great number of persons collecting 
young oysters—any size that will hear removing. lie thinks the Company purcliascs four-fifths of their 
oysters ; they would certainly not 1)0 able to carry on tlicir operations if they had not the opportunity of 
purchasing brood. 
Mr. TV. J. Lanfjham, Inspector of Oyster Beds :—He said there were largo quantities of oysters on 
tlic rocks and mangroves going to waste which might be converted into excellent food. Captain Griffin 
has done a great deal for a place like that he lias at Limehurner’s Creek. lie utilizes all the spat ho can 
get. Ho wished to get some from the rocks at Port Stephens, hut Captain Griffin told him tlic lessees 
refused to let Iiim have any ; tlicy preferred seeing it going to w'asto rather than allow' him to utilize it. 
Ho tliinks there is enough sjiat going to waste in Broken Bay to supply half the rivers -working at tho 
present time. There are oysters sent to market wdiicli, in his opinion, are not marketable, and which 
should not be sold as liumau food, but if they were laid dowm on suitable soil tliey would grow and 
become fat and good oysters. All the lessees scorn to care about is to get as mauy oysters as they can. 
With respect to the rivers not leased, but closed, Mr. Langliam said—“There is an immense quantity of 
spat at Port Hacking and no uso is made of it; it was closed, at the request of tlie lessees, to prevent 
stealing. There are great quantities of young oysters on the rocks in Port Jackson; tho Government do 
not make any use of tlicm themselves, and will not allow any one else to do so.” 
G. AVo have thought it expedient to (pioto the above evidence at some length, in order to show tho 
vast natural capabilities of this country for breeding oysters, and also the waste of young oysters wliich 
in England would bo of Iiigh value, and which waste is as much to be deprecated as the former practice of 
buniing oysters for lime. Bertram says—“ Tlie fisher people at Colchester and other places prowl about 
tlio sea shore and pick up all tho little oysters they can find—those ranging from the size of a llircc- 
penny piece to a sliilling, and persons and Companies Iiavinglayings jnircliase them to he fattened for the 
table. At other places the spawn itself is collected, by picking it from the pieces of stone or tho old 
oyster shells to which it may have adhered, and it is nourished in pits as in Burnliani, for the jnirposc of 
being sold to tho AYliitstablo people, who carefully lay it on thqir ground. TJio stock of oysters in tho 
private layings of the Wliitstahlc Company is said to bo of the value of £200,000. 
7 . 
