The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-30 00:00:00

Oyster Calture•

The third half yearly meting of the shareholders
in the Herne Bay, Hampton, and Reculver Oyster
Fishery Company was held yesterday at their offices,
10, Adelphi-terrace. Mr. H. Pennell, the chairman
of the company, being prevented by illness from
attending, the chair was taken by Mr. Thompson,
deputy-chairman. The report stated that about
£lB,OOO had been expended on oysters up to the end
of September last, and that their condition since
having been laid down on the company's grounds
was such that most of them would shortly be ready
for market. There had not been, as some had ex-
pected, a large spat this year, but a fair share of
what there had been had fallen on the company's
fishery.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report and statement of accounts, remarked that
the oysters on the ground, which had cost the com-
pany about £lB,OOO, were now estimated as worth
above £34,000 ; and that about £BOO worth haVing
been also brought in by the company's boats, the
stock might be fairly assumed to be of the value of
£35,000. They were now, however, paying an in-
creased price for stock. Many persons thought that
spatling of oysters only occurred at intervals of six
or seven years; but those best capable of judging
were of the opinion that, while a very large spat
was an exceptional occurrence, spatting to a greater
or less extent took place every year. This was
proved by the fact that the boats were constantly
bringing in oysters of one, two, three, or
four years' growth. The fattening capacities
of the Herne Bay ground were unlimited,
and the directors were now negotiating for
a breeding ground at Saltash, which would, they
hoped, prove a valuable source of supply for the
purpose of fattening for market.
Mr. FRANK BUCKLAND seconded the motion, and
entered into a detail of his experiments in artificial
culture of oysters. He had spent many weeks in the
Ile de Re, studying the French system, which he had
endeavoured to vary here so as to suit the climate.
The foreshore at Herne Bay was exactly like that in
the Ile de Re, and he had selected a spot close to the
pier. He had laid down 4,000 tiles of a cheap
kind, costing about £7, at about half a mile from
the shorq. At first he laid them down in rows, but
the waves upset them; then he tried fascines, which
kept off weeds and protected the tiles, and to
which the spat might adhere. He put down
hurdles and made eddies, so as to induce the set-
tling down of light bodies such as the spat. He
was obliged to confess that hitherto the experiment
had been a failure, but he had learned much already,
and recommended that he should be allowed to con-
tinue it next year. The cost hitherto had been
about £lOO. He found that culch (old oyster shells,
&c.) was much preferable to tiles.
After some questions had been asked and answered
as to the details of the accounts, &c., the CHAIRMAN
stated that 1,000 acres of the ground had been
cleaned and covered with culch, and that 1,500 acres
more had been dredged over, making 2,500 acres
already wholly or partially under cultivation. The
directors expected to commence selling oysters in
the first week of December.

Mr. J. BULLAR stated that a friend of his had
asked in an oyster shop for Herne Bay oysters, and
was charged 23. per dozen for those supplied under
the name.

The report and accounts were unanimously
adopted.

Mr. HARVEY proposed a vote of thanks to the
directors, which was seoonded by Mr. JOAN BULLAR,
and passed unanimously, after which the meeting
separated.