OYSTEU CULTUEE COMMISSION—^APPENDIX. 
63 
hare been the case. Tliosc Imvc now been down 18 months, and many are fib for market. The shape has somewhat altered, 
being inclined to approach the a])poarancc of a deejvwater oyster—the colour also—and have increased in size, threefold. I 
hare carefully attended them, and separated as many of the clumps as I could without causing injury, and generally kept them 
clean of dej)osit. At piv^eiit, 1 believe, in consequence of lying pretty close, the spawn has caught rather abundantly this 
season. Lessees still continue to res{>oct said agreement. The only peennuiry advantage I have is to be able to keepnp a good 
weekly average, while otlier portions of U’d may not yield such during winter, interruption from had weather, or floods. 
Receiving 5s. a bag, as for other oysters. The Manning oysters command the highest price in cither Sydney or Melbourne; 
heiico we average no more than £2 wceklr, working 12 hours daily, against 6 and 8 hours formerly. 
WILLIAM AVIXDSOR. 
Both the undersigned have tried the experiment of laying, though the one without agreemeut with lessees, and firmly 
bclicTC tliat on good ground, cultivated with care, culture would pay well; but unless a long and secure lease be given at a 
reasonable rate of rent, there woidd be little to justify the attempt, and if so, rigid restrictions would be necessary. 
WILLIAM WINDSOR. 
DAVID BARRV. 
CADR HAWKE EISHERY. 
1. Prior to the opening of the bar, according to John Pennington’s statement in 1848 or 49, it seems the only oyster-bed 
was that marked No. 1, on wliich they were thick; however in 1859 this bed was found to have been cither silted over or 
oysters swept, away by such a strong rush of water as that likely to be produe;ed hy a flood so high tia to sweep away the sand¬ 
bank which closed the bar. The opening of tlio bar sljowed, as in the <‘:ise of south passage (Atauningl.that it is inclispcnsaWo 
to the health and fertility or spread of oysters to have a fair flu]>ply of tidal water regularly fresh from sea, llowover, after 
1859, when settlement began, several other of the bods were ]irodaeiiig, and the number has been gradually increasing, still, 
however, No. 12 is vacant, though possessing all the appearances of a most excellent bed. No. 9 was infertile till 1872, and 
perhaps the next gootl spasming season may also stock No. 12 and some of tlm other equally good hods. 
2. 1 beg to refer to enclosed statements. The beds are all shallow, generally from one to three or at most four feet, 
therefore dredge is not employed and tramping over patlicring is rather beneficial than otherwise. 
3. As siiown in skel.ch. the lower ])ortion, next bar is filled up with wave drift-sand slightly intermixed with mud, and 
only two or three narrow shallow channoU between. 
(а) Shores generally of creeks and islands consist of blackish unctuous soil, in many parts lying over a horizontal 
stratum some foot thick, of the common chocolato friable sandy mud rock ; and on east side of lake, south, to 
narrowest part betwixt hike and sea, theneo to Booty Hill, is a sandy spit drifted up in dunes covered with the 
ordinary kind of brush and tree congenial tlierelo ; rocky round Booty Hill. Beyoud, south-east portion, on the 
friable rock lies two to three feet soil, over it one to three feet pure oyster-shell, and above two or tliree feet 
more black soil; this extends to south extremity, thence along to Mr. Newman’s (settler^ blackish unctuous soil; 
thence along west side the land is elevated, and shores rocky. 
(б) Very fine rock tidal oyster.-i extend all {dong to north-west corner of Lake where marked ; but on east side no farther 
than opposite middle of AVallis Island; yet all round large island south of Wallis Island, and on west corner of 
Wallis they abound. 
(c) None of mud, but wherever marked with blue line the beds are composed chiefly of shell and sandy mud similar 
to those producing oysters, and in fact many portions of them are seemingly better suited for oyster-bearing; 
indeed, it is not unreasonable to suppose that in time, even by natural means, most if not all will become fertile. 
However, Mr. Ncinnan’s (settler) selection marked south-west portion of lake, laid some down in front thereof, 
X which lias thriven and even increased. .-Vlso Mr. SI‘Cay, foui* miles up Woolambec from Govt, cutting on No. 2 
bed lias laid some which thrive very well. Hence it is proven that ovsters will thrive artificially laid both at 
southern extremity of lake and well up WooUimbee River. 
4. Salt-water lagoon in \\"a]lU Lake and that at north shore with a considerable extent of marsh around each, especially 
the latter, as all the islauda (excepting west and north auUs Wallis IsLmd), together with that around both creeks and up the 
Woolambee about three miles, are admirably suited for trench culture ; and lagoons for beds, but none of the lake shores are 
suitable. 
5. Area nliont as marked in sketch. Beds No. 2 dry at half-ebb, and portions of 3, 7, 8, and 10, the latter ninning 
into two and thn^c feet at low-water. A great portion of all the oyster-bearing beds ; Jilso non-bearing beds marked with blue 
ink, arc hard shell slightly intermixed with sanely mud, wliile portions are softish sandy mud, all, however covered with various 
kinds of marine vegetation into wliich you sink to the ancles ; and a considerable extent of those in lake are thickly dotted 
over with large live cockles each hearin'g a tuft of algre, however, nil are upimrirntly equally well suited for oysters. Cockles 
and oysters thrive well togetlier; indeed, the oysh'r frequently attaches to a clean live cockle as to a whelk, but the cockle does 
not devour it ns the whelk docs. Both whelks and ix^riwinklo (the veritable LUlorina Uttorea) abound in both lake and 
estuary, each in its proper habitat. 
0. Thoi'o is an immense amount of both in the beds described, most of them many feet thick and in layers on islands ; also 
mingled with soil everywhere save in the sand-spit whicli separates a portion of east sfdo of lake from the sea; and none of the 
islands are alienated nor any of north shore. 
7. Infonuation relating to spawning I liave succeeded in eliciting prottv fully in statement enclosed. I may, however, 
remark thereon that both John iVimingtou and John Hughes are both verv intcUigeut and observing men, and the former lias 
iiad probably more experience of the subject than any one in the Colony, having been during sixty-five velars constantly to aud 
fro to nearly every oystcr-bciiring river, and mostly dealing or procuring them for sale. 1 have also carefull^i noted down 
exactly what each desired to say j besides, every word relating to the lisUcry can be eonfinned by many of the residents. T 
may remark in addition that as in Europe aud America years occur in whieh oysters do not spawn ; also, thtit whotlicr spawn 
be fertile or not, there is like to be without artificial aid a lapse of severid years'in the natural course betwixt, each ]>rolific crop. 
I believe lliis to be universally the ease, 1 sliall take a future opportunity to refer to this subject. 
Tins fishery affonls hy fur the finest oi>portunify to acuralely study the hubhs of tho oyster. Tho water is far clearer 
than that of any of the northern rivers, and the beds’do not exceed a depth of four Feet, generally two and a half low-water. 
1 have waded over all tho oyster beds and a great portion of the ground in lake enclosed hy blue lines. 
The very el«ir water also affords an excellent opjiortunity to observe some of tbeoysters’ enejni<\s. A species of cephalo¬ 
poda is nitbrr mnneroms. Tt fonna a hole and gatliers around it a bushel or two of oysters piled up ahuve the level of the bed, 
apjmrcutly partly for concealment partly for food. I have watched it busily conveying the oyster to its nest. 1 have also 
obserV(‘(l two dilTerent kinds of eitib dclilwratelv engaged chi]>])ing off tho edge of the oyster with its chclfc, and w'hon it has 
made the opening sufliciently large, insert oitlier of its foremost claws, divide tho muscle aiid abstract the oyster. It’s 
astonishing how quickly it ojiens and devours the oyster. 
8. According to both stateinonts, while ^irolifit^ spawning took place, probably cud of October or early in November, 
barren s]riwiiing took place sometime in Jamuu-y, andas in England an oyster here and there is always found on tlie spawning 
bed wliich does not s]iawii, at least not that season. It appears also that at least in this fishery spawning takes place nearly at 
the same ! iine over all the beds, and tlicre is no evidence whatever to show that spawning happens more than once a year. 
9. Moderately sized areas. 
10. 
IL 
12. No improvements wliatcvcr. The lessee by a lucky hit got the fisherv with a fuller crop tlian ever it liad on it 
before (No. 9 bed additional), and iinmodiutcly thereafter before oyster had grown to one-tbird its mature size, seven hundred 
and thirty bng^ are shipi>ed to m.*irkot. The evidence proves unquestionably that tlio oyster at the most only attuincif maturity 
last year, indei'd some of them not yet. However, to this date about six tjiousand bags litive been got. In all jirohability, 
if alloweil to remain until the three yeai's (as they ouglit to liave been) those six thousand would have iucix'ased at le.ist ten 
thousand bags, whieh, together with tho two thoimand to three thousand remaining, would give the amount of full crop of 1872, 
viz., twelve thousand t-o thirteen thousand bags—by no mcan.s a bad investment for £45 a year ; and not a stiver of this large 
gain is spent on the fishery. Moreover, it is now only left with the specified number of tidal oysters. Certainly they arc 
of better quality thau the tidal oysters of any other fishery I have seen, but that docs not mitigate the evil. 
As 
