The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-21 00:00:00

The Culture of Oysters.

A very interesting lecture on " Oyster Culture" was
read on Wednesday evening at the Society of Arts by Mr
James Lowe, joint secretary to the Acclimatization Society
of Great Britain—Mr W. Hawes in the chair. The lec-
turer commenced by stating that the art of oyster culture
was by no means a new one, having been carried on with
perfect success by the inhabitants of the borders of Lake
Fusaro, in Italy, from the time of the Romans to the pre-
sent day. Fifteen years ago M. de Quatrefages, the emi-
nent French naturalist, called the attention of the Academie
des Sciences to the depreciation and abandonment of
many oyster beds on the shares of the Channel. In 1858
the gradual increase in the price of oysters in France, conse-
quent on their growing scarcity, attracted the attention of
M. Coate, the celebrated pisciculturist, and since that time
several beds on the coast Brittany and elsewhere have been
entirely renewed through the exertions of the gentleman. In
this country the oyster was also becoming scarcer and scarcer
every day, having doubled in price during the last few years
and if some remedy was not speedily found these delicious
bivalves would soon become extinct. Luckily, the shores of
the British islands afforded numberless localities in which
oyster culture could be carried on with ease and success.
The method adopted by the French cultivators as carried on
on the foreshores on that part of the shore lying between
high and low water mark was thus described :—The shore is
divided into allotments by means of low walls, each allot-
ment being called a park, in which are placed tiles covered
with old shells, bits of rock, &c., fixed in their places by
cement. It is upon these that the spawn, or spat, of the
oyster collects and attaches itself. Besides these parks, there
are etalges, or places on the forshore where the oysters are
laid down to fatten for market ; claires, or enclosures, having
similar objects, and viviers, cr vivaria, where the oysters
are stored. The conditions necessary to insure success are
few. A fine sheltered shore free from weeds and muscles,
and with just a little but not too much mud, is best
fitted for an oyster park. For large operations in a consi-
derable depth of water, like that carried on so suceessfully
by M. Coate when he re-stocked the bay of St. Brieue,
nothing is better than large fascines of branches bound to-
gether with a thin chain of galvanized iron wire and sunk
by means of a heavy stone, For small parks on the
foreshore the tiles already spoken of are used, which
are the invention of Dr. Kemmerer, the able and zealous
oyster-culturist of the Isle de Rui. Mr. Lowe then gave
an account of the life of an oyster from the spat to the fat-
tened native, from which it appears that although each
oyster produces spawn amounting to millions of individuals,
yet hardly half-a-dozen of them ever arrive at maturity.
Oyster culture has already taken firm root in the island
of Guernsey in several localities pointed out by Mr. Lowe
as particularly adapted to the purpose while visiting the
island about three years since, and preparations are now
being made at Prittlewell, between Southend and Shoebury-
ness, for the establishment of oyster-parks on the French
principle by the. Fish and Oyster Culture Company. The
company has already laid down 1,500 bushels of full-grown
oysters, which have been spread over about five acres of
ground in such a way as to leave room for the placing of
60,000 Kemmerera collecting tiles. It is calculated that if
each tile collects only 10 spat, the crop secured in one year
will amount to 500,000 oysters, the value of which will be
£l,OOO. Mr. Lowe then alluded to the legal difficulties
standing in the way of oyster culture. The foreshore be-
longs to the Crown, but upon proper representations being
made, Parliament would no doubt see fit to cede that
right under certain limitations. An interesting discussion
followed, led by Mr. Ffennell, Inspector of Fisheries.
lie said that the coast of Ireland abounded in localities
most favourable to oyster culture, and instanced the fact
of accidental oyster beds having been found in several
places. In Cork river a most profitable oyster bed was now
being worked which owed its origin to a number of unsale-
able oysters having been thrown overboard from a vessel
anchored just above the harbour. If such results were due
merely to accident, how much greater might be expected
from systematic cultivation. A. great deal of opposition
had been raised to oyster culture, and it had been said that
a number of poor people would be deprived of their bread,
but no'stress need be laid on these representations as it
was a well-known fact that almost every oyster fishery in
this country was decaying. He would mention one on the
coast of Ireland which a few years since sent oysters to
market, the freight alone of which amounted to £l,OOO
per week, whereas now the total produce hardly reached
£3OO a year. Mr. Ffennell was followed by Messrs. Mit-
chell, Ridley, Ashton, Buckland, Tegetmeier, and several
others, all of whom were unanimous in their opinion that
oyster culture should at once be established in this coun-
try. A vote of thanks was then passed to Mr. Lowe by
acclamation for his very interesting and eloquent paper,
and the meeting separated. The lecture was copionsly.
illustrated by a large number of specimens collected bye
the
Mr.
Lowe during an official visit paid by him last year th t
oyster grounds on the west coast of France, and by p o o.
graphs of oysters in different stages of development, ex-.
hibited by means of the magic lantern.

The will of Mrs. Elizabeth Veal, of Belle Vue,
Hampstead, was proved in London under £lO,OOO.
The testatrix died on the 9th of April last, and was
the relent of the late John Veal,
Esq., of the Record
and Writ Clerks'-office, Chancery-lane. The sole
executor and trustee nominated is Frederick Beds
well, Esq., of the same office, who is also appointed
residuary legatee. The will and codicil were excl.
cuted in l‘fareh last. Amongst the legatees are
phew, G. F. Smith, £2,000 ; and
,of Hampstead, £l,OOO. Libel.
the four under-mentioned in.
legacies are given to servants. Bequests of
University College Hospital,
B£Btrthais.eitoGuott.ei.eoßsintreasohtriinanr:eTs:lnieee.fDt
.to
T Unitedhe wLial wl
oCf l
Daniele rk s S oße iuert
gy.
es
Hospital, Cancer Hospital, and the
King's College
Esq., of Clifton Park,
Bristol,
was proved in London on the 9th. inst., by
his sons, Daniel Burges, Edward Burges, and
George Barges, Esqs , the executors and trustees.
The personalty was sworn under £40,000. The
testator had held the office of Town Clerk for the
city of Bristol, and died on the 16th of April last,
having executel his will July, 1863, and two codi-
cils, 1862 4. He has disposed of his property prin.,'
cipally amongst his four sons and three daughters
in various proportions. His freehold warehouses
and buildings at St. Stephen's, Bristol, he be des
vised to the eldest son, Daniel, and to whom he has
bequeathed the sneer candelabrum presented to
him by the Town Council and many of the inhabi-
tants of Bristol, upon his retirement from the office
of Town Clerk. To his son Edward he has be-
queathed the silver salver presented to him by the
' Corporation. of Bristol. The residue of his property
he leaves equally amongst his four ow- e.