IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) // A // * "« wi,7hS:: On our arrival there, we were met hv Mr P 4 n..«^..i.:., . t ^ i. ^ . . GENERAL REMARKS ON THE RESULTS OF OYSTER-CULTURE IN FRANCE AND ENGLAND. Before entering into the body of this report, I deem it tt(lvi,sable, with your ner nussion, to preface it with son.e general .-emarks on oyster-culture, an dthe hiX8tL?of protection , has atfuned in France as well as in England. In a coun ry wLre luefhrs^ reairr ^ P"""""*^' T'* *"?« -^vantageous pecuniary results ,so spe^ediiraJ.u^ly reahzed, are comparatively unknown, a few data l,earing'on these ,>«„ts cannrfaiir^ of mtei-est to parties who may wish to engage in so profitable a business. P..ini"fc ' fT,^ T/t"'"* '^y i "■ '•"'« ""^^^ '''^ ™»nt''« ifi New Brunswick and Prince Edward Isiand, I have found, among the people there, an evident desi™ Wrn everything relating to the culture of oysters, and I have no d^ubt that with trmateTa assistance which your department is prepared to give, to those willing to e nbarHn tS business the day is not far distant when the ^hol'e coa^^ of S Br^sw Lk f^^^ Caraquette to Bay Verte and the shores of Prince Edward Tsla ula^ wd! ... , tZ wS £r; T """" «-"" T^^ ^' "^^« *« ^'^'^ * »^*"dsome revenue^ the p'roviS while being of no small impartance to parties desiring to enga«e into this lucrative tmde My intimate connection with the Whitstable Oyster^Lpa^ S Xh I ^m a member and where I have gained most of my practical knowlX and experieL wdl enable me to bring to your notice a few facts connected wythriLepE the development and the present standing of the above-named concern •"''^P*'^"' ^^e ^ OV8TBR KI8IIBBIE8 OV QAMADA. TI..M.XHC. -lalo of tl... fori.uiti.M. of tluK o..i..,«»ny is n'ot known uyHte.s luivinK ,«.,... tu.l on tlH l...n.H fn.n. tin.o inrnuMnunul : a n-o-.n of the UMMnln-.. ;vl;;><- > ' Jh.v n.panv is to In- s,..n in tl..- nnm.-un. ut NMi.tHtul.U', .lat.Ml aWout 1M,(. «J i«K o Umt twenty nnunlnMs. TIuh K.oun.l «h an oynter HhImmv t -v t..m.. to r "rv wduahl.., l,ut 1 J..«r l.-iuK very seam, at the tin.e, these "';;••'-;;;;'';,;;;»", lttl,..unnK u.en to take an e.,ual ,.,oi>...ti..n of the .iiv.Men.l an.l hnaily aihm,Hl then, to '""1:';^"ran"Aet ^ lVWia,ne..twasohtai..e.l ineo.po.a.inu the eon.pa.jy of l^ee KishJ.' u ; hmlKe-s or Whitstahle and K.antin« then, the I'on.inon Seal Smee tha v«« the on.punv has .e^'ula.lv hehl eaeh .h.lv its wate.^ .ou.t, presuh- 1 ove. hy i Twa "Mit .lay all its otheers a.e eleet.-.l fo,- the follovvinK V.-an Only hven.eu are a lowe.1 to attend n,.H-tin»jH. <..• fish on these >.Moun.ls. a .Mh- '•'«"">■/■"/'; '..nnanv The ovste,-.lH.ds are uhout one and a half square n.des in s./.e. hut the .ompany Ik. Ill hiiirl I'liid fi'celiold to a ni'eat extent. , . F 1 wo '.ee hnnd-ed men llnd .■n,,.l..yn.ent in the oyster tishe.v nearly the whole the year. The total nu...lH.r of ,.,e,nlK-rs at the p.esent tn.u- K-lonK...« to tl 'e ".ntpan^- is :".(.. the a.u.ual . nn.over l.ein« aln^.t £70..)U0, and the total value ot the whole eoneern is e8tin.ated at alH.ut £-'()0,t)(»0 sterl.MK. • .• f n„n.l...tal.le The «roun,ls a,e always kept well supplie.l with sto..k, eonsisfn^ ot ' " l^ '^ ' and youV.K-.^Hte,s, whi.h a.v either l.re.l on their own ^f.ound.s or pu,rha.sed iron, the ^"'•^Z';;;^HS^=s't;:l^"te;r.;';;r'a, Whitstahle.o.> aee f the expos., Wo a lim.ai '"'"', \t ti.i.es veiv lai"e sums of n.oi.ev l.av.- heen paid ' Unt ab m the year 1875 no Fre..eh h,(...l or oysters we.e hud o,. hnghsh oy te.^ ''"""in amW..I! tW whcle .,t the oy.ten,, w .l..y «» hauled .m b..a,-d, .re c.refally eaptanis juagn.ciit mi. agroumt «» '"r,C,:« ,rf" the above company, yet the matter although this vessel was «7«5 ]>[ '^T ar„a1e in^l .^ Jo>^^^^ case to be :Z:^Zr^S^^^eZT^i^:^^^ l^ bestoJd on these bed. O^e 'conpTniel to «st asVrticular in their care and preservation of their beds. RKPORT <»N TIIK WdKK IN NKW IIHINHWICK. 0 This work Im iiirriftl Mil yon after vt'iii' ls, ami with lii« IiiImiui' iuuI exertion is liNikiii^ in ihf tutiiii- for fiivourahh' itsultN. Till- Fn-nili iiovfrnnit'iit, tiiidiiiK iht-ir jinauMlN iMroiiiiiiK (li'|>lflitl through ovit fishiniu'. K'aiizfii how ncicssary it was to inlcrft'if to save tin- ciitiif iniltiMtry, and liiwx were |ia>-i'(l ri';.'uliitiii;{ sliinjifiit ly how and when thf few remaining oystt-rs iiiiKht !»• dr('(l>:«'d. Mi)if iiii|Mirlaiit still, the aKitation of tlH-sc nit'iisuros li>d to tin- <|iit'sli"ii nf ivjih'iiislimi'ht as ihi' iiii|iortiiiit |>rolilfiii. Tin- reservation of the natural grounds as State |iro|>erly, and the forltiddiiifZ of general |iulilii- dredging, is generally regarded as the keystone of French oyster culture. These grounds oiue exhausted, and now tloiirishing, are regarded as the jieriiiuneiit eapital of surrounding areas, whose |irotils in the furni of seed oysler.-i are shared iiy idl Hiike. The State exereises thi- additional rigiitof surveillance in the inlerestsof cuiturists, through the local eonnnisNaries of marine, and of reguUting and changing the terms of {State rentals. The industry is a protitalile one to the culturist. It also returns to the State ii large yearly revenue hy way of rentals. ( 'oiiiiietilioii. moreover, on the side of the cuiturists. is ojterating more and more favourably for the iH'ople, insuring a j»r«Hluct for generid coDHumption. UKPOHT ON THK WoUK T\ NKW UHINSWICK. «»n our arrival at Shediac we were met hy Mr. H. A. C'liajimun, Insjiector of Fisheries for New Hrunswick, and Mr. E. Hackelt. Inspector of Fisheries for Prince Kdward Island. « »ur iiKstructions were to visit the following places, viz., Shediac Huctouche, C'iKagne and Hichihuctu. SMKIUAC, Having carefully and thoroughly surveyed, dredged and inspected the whole of Shediac Hay, 1 am convinced that it is a most .suitable place for imtural oyster-culture. I'lKin every clear place where any soil can lie found have dredged up oysters and oyster ImMxl, as many a.s I'U at a haul. Thesr '»eon examination of the soil, it was found that the northern portion of the ground, on the plan handed to us, was entiiely useless for oyster-culture, but large ([uantities of ground were frund south of the southern Ix.undary of the plan, suitable for the above purpose ; the bearings and limits of the ground most suitable have been marked on nn Admiralty chart and forwaixled to the department. The.se grounds when properly cleaned and kept in order will be very valuable both for breeding and maturing the oyster. To make these beds successful, they must lie thoroughly cleansed by dredges a»uae"«inK <'ii ami luoumi tlu-m, iiUo nn iK'niiiiuhition of iiiuil, which hiiH Im-» II iU>|MiHit«'il then' iiy lh«' tiihi* ; but with time iind hilHuir th«Hi' ciin all l>e < U'luu'd Hiid put in working «irdiT. Siimll i|uaiititi«>H nf oyMti-iN iiiid IucmmI, hii- to 1m< found on thfsc ImmU, nhiiwinx that oyNti-iN iirc still in fxistc'iui- in this Im-alitv, whicli iir»' of an t'xcflh-nt <|uidiiy. At lUcioK iiK and Cimaonk, tin- grounds w.-iv found to U- very murh diMJointcd throu>{h till' mud diKU»Ms (with the i-xn-ption of thf l»ixon ImmI). \NV also pror.MM'iHl up the liver beyond the railway bridge, an far as the oyster ImmIm extend, and found it in the same condition us below, eut {opieees and disjointed. TheHe patches >;eiierally showed a very healthy condition. We cannot tind ki^'IHx' with a sufMcient depth of "water to reserve for tlie cultivation of oysters in the river or bay. The oysters liere are to Ijo found Ki-owin^f on the sides of banks and edyesof the channels, U'ingvery healthy, ^row- U\H very fast and a much j;reater proportion of oyster bnsHl tlian the fullblown oyster: in «.iie haul we brought up 10 oysters and ">» brfxMl, in another haul •»;» bnsKl no oysfei-H, and many hauls in like proportion. Kisliin;,' oysters through the ice was very nofiVeabie here, as in some places, bleached slielLs were found, cau.sed tiiroujjh Ix'inj; exJMt.sed to the weather, and the youii« br«M»; eel jjrass and .soft mud. Were it possiiile to form ground sutticieiitly hard to receive the spat there could (fi-oiii l»ig Cove to Kingston Hridge) l)e saved a suUicient ipiantity of oyster br.KMl to supply the whole of Kngland's oyster-lM-cls. On every patch dredged our hauls of oy.ster broiKl were as follows : H]'\ It)'), 1!).'), 108. Coining t«Ia larger patch from which we were enabled to obtain a greater (piantity we brought up HI I ; the largest iwrtion consisted of undersized oysters. N«» soil was found for the sjiat to adhere to, conse(|uently great nuinlK-rs were smothered and d"stroyed by the mud. The North-west Hiver was next inspected, where very few oysters were found and the ground ajipeared to be very old, having In-eii desti-oyed by the mud iliggers, and had the apjiearaiice of being long disused. The best and most suitable piece of ground lay iietween Indian Island and the main land, a portion of which was comparatively clean, but the greatest [Mtition would recjuire cleaning before planting, there being in this place a suVistantial bottom ; the only draw- buck which 1 noticed was the situation, being opposite the Indian settlement and iniglit be robbetl by them. THE WORK TN PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. I places visited were Summerside Harbour, or Hedecjue Hay, Richmond Bay, , Rideford, Enmore Itiver, Charlottetown, North ur York River, AVest River The Narrows, and Vernon River IIKDKyl.'K HAY. The greater portion of this bay consists of soft mud and long eel grays ; nio.st of the once famous beds have suffered the effects of inud digging. Oft'Oy-stcr Point the bottom in very linn, but owing to the grass and weed being so thick, it was impossible to tell what the bottom was really like ; at one time large ({uantities of oysters were .shipped from this locality. Apart from this there appears to be only one available place for the culture of oysters, situated off the North Sliore, towards Wilmot Creek ; some portion of the TRR WORK IN PRINCE IDWARD Igl.ANO. Ki'ouiiil wttK tlt'Hr, l»ut tlie Kn>Mt«>r p'trtiiiii wmt ihvitciI willi wtM'd uiitl »hiiii hihkh, th«' iMittt.iii lM«iuj( >»'i) tinii. Th«' weiv ^,i n vn y Him- i|Ui(lity and ill u licallhy cDiulitiDii, )(ntwiii)( v«e the iiUMt Muitnlile pitM'n fur reNt4K-kiiif( itt'tvr il hiiN Imh-ii iir<>|MTly rU'iiiiiil, HICHMONII IIAV. Thin ^hiuiid ctivciii a vory cxtciiMivt' uivh, tiiid tiiid the xiimc lotliin^f short of ii Kohl mine ; tht*Ni> KmuiidN it|i|N>»i' to Im> very pntlilic. Soni** of l\wsv lM-d> iir«> v*-i'v lar^e, (oiiHiHtiiiK of iiiiiiiy mn'H, tim st(«k u|><»ii them toiii|MiriiiK ^•'H ^*i'l< iuhiMit«(l kii'IuuIm ; tlie lenouiveH iippt'ar to U* enoiiiioiis, for tlif Im-iIm ure wt'll stiK'ked with oynteiH and oyster hnnKl, which we tiiid «»f a very K"****! <|imlity, and in a healthy condition, ^ruwing very rapidly. K\ery |M»rt itiHpt>ctiHl where w»il 18 to be found ther«> are oyitei-N and oyster briMMi. In no ninnle iiiHtance have we seen any (h'ath, or a iiiarine eneiiiy to the oyster, a inoMt reinarkalile eoiiu'idenee over such an ar»(a of Kifond. I Huhinit to you s.tnif of the hauiN that were made over dilFerent parts of the Iwiy ; Old Store haul, M oystei-s, HO Iii(kkI ; ;JH oysters, IS IuimkI ; iM oysters, .'<8 liriKxl : 20 oysters, l.i hnsKl. Four hauls ott' south side of Tin II Point: first haul, I -'4 hrtKxl, '.\H oysti'is : secoml haul, l.'J oysters; thinl haul, '.'0 oysters, IH hnsKl : fourth haul, '.\ft oysters, M.'l hriKsl. ('urtain Island, Mal- pe<|ue May : tirst haul, ')» oysters, .15 brtMsl ; second haul, 40 oysters, 1 I hnxKl ; third haul, ">0 oysters, '21 lii-ood ; fourth haul, .'W oysters, |;i hnsid. From southwest to northwest of Curtaiii Island rei-f : tirst haul, "•"» oysters, IH IiiimmI ; second haul, DO oysters, (i bnxHi. In the middle of the bay we hid til lai>{e oysters and lf» IuimkI in one haul. Kast end of the (lull Point: tirst haul, 47 oysters, |.*».") biiHxl : second haul. r»B oysters, 180 broiKl. OH" Archie Camel's sli%re, 4.H oysters, L'.'l ImikmI ; second haul, T'J oysters, !>8 briMsl ; third haul, *i4 oysters, !)1 briMKl. Archie Camel's Cape : tirst hiful, 73 oysters, .'il brmMl ; second haul, 81> oysters, '}0 brisKl. Sam's Island, an old lied, I oyster, 14 brcKKl. Otl" Mill's Point west : first haul, 20 oysters, •"» biisMl ; second haul, <) oysters, 4 briMKl. McNeil's Point : Ki-st haul, 75 oysters, :JH Iii'ihmI ; second haul, .'19 oysters. .'10 brood ; third haul, 'M oysters, 'M\ IiimmI. I>ick .'^hoie : first haul, 'Mt oystei-s, L'8 biiHMl : second haul, 13 oysters, I'O brwsl. < )fl' Hiver Piatt: first haul, 9 oystei-s, :\ IrriMMl ; second haul, I'l oysters, M broixl. Fraser's Cove: fii-st Imul, 23 oysters, 7 browl ; s«'cond haul. 20 oysters, 15 bixMHl ; third haul, 10 oysters, 20 bwKKl. The alKive fijjures will point out the present state of the >{'■*•'""'**• »" th"^ fftmx time to time you may Ije e:iabled to test the various lieils and compare imtes. The grounds fi-om Oyster Cove, including Indian Hiver to Kayner's Ci-eek, has Iwen entirely destroyed by mussel-mud digging. Warden Kelly, of Travellers' He.st, informed us that the.se weiv originally some of the l)est l)eds in the whole bay ; the fishermen were able to fish in all weathers here, as they were in such a sheltereil position. These Iteds extended about four inile.s in length. The whole of this bay is well sheltered from the .sea, it being nearly all surrounded by land. N.\IIHOWH .AND IIIUKKOKD. These places were found to l)e in the sivine Hourishing condition as Hiehmond Bay. The oysters here wei-e found to Ije smaller in size and round in .shajxs with a deep Iwt- toin shell, resembling the English oyster more than anything previously .seen, they were well fished, and of delicate flavour. I will give some of the numbers of oysters taken at different places by the dredge. Middle of Narrows : first haul, 54 oysters, 48 brood ; .second haul, 60 oysters, 65 bro-Tfl ; thirf! hftv,!,' '-H oyj^t^r-, 54 brood ; fourth haul, 35 oysters, 90 bnjOtl ; fiftli h.iui, 10 oysters, .50 brood. Richard's bed north side of Squirrel Creek : first haul, 53 oy.sters, 35 brood ; second haul, 51 oysters, 38 brood ; third haul, 29 oysters, 13 bnxKl ; fourth haul, 49 oysters, 10 brood ; fifth haul, 55 oysters, 58 bnxxl ; sixth haul, 1 7 oysters, 47 brood. Nigger Point : first haul, 16 oysters, 38 brood ; second haul, 30 oysters, 32 OYSTER FISHERIES OP CANADA. brood. .Joo ]{eimrd's Point, Lennox Ifiltind : first haul, 18 oysters, 72 brood; second haul, .% ..ysters, ;>9 brood. Sally Frances bed : first haul, 2') oysters, 38 brood ; second haul, ."iZ oysters, 76 Oi-ood. Coopei's bed : first haul, 1') oysters, 222 brood : second haul, 22 oy.sters, IGO brood. Hideford River: first haul, U'^oysters, ;i5 brood ; second haul, 11) oysters, 21 brood , third haul, 14 oysters, 28 brood. Schooner's Creek was found to be cut up with mud difjfiers : first haul, 9 oysters, ?,S brood ; second haul, 9 oysters. 26 brood : third haul, 1 oyster, 1 brood. Barkley's Creek : first haul, 6 oysters, 23 brofnl ; second haul, 8 oysters, 34 brood, Trout River: first haul, 10 oysters, 47 bi-ood ; second haul, 2 oysters, 29 biood ; third haul, 22 oysters, 68 brood ; large mussels were found in Trout River. Lot 12, Point: first haul, 23 oysters, 33 brood: second haul, 13 oysters, 13 brood. Bird Island : first haul, 68 oysters, 47 brood : second haul, , 37 oysters, 27 brood ; these oysters were very fine. ■ • . ENMORE KIVEK. Owing to the unsettled weather, and small boat, we were unable to find any ground suitable to reserve for oyster culture. The warden informed us, that originally there was a bed extending for half a mile in length, but had been destroyed by niud'diggers, so that no oysters or ground can now be found. The fii-st haul we had consis^ted of 5 oysters, 1 brood ; second haul, 1 oyster, 8 brood ; third haul, f) oysters, 2 brood ; fourth haul, 3 oysters, 3 brood ; fifth haul, 6 oystei-s ; sixth haul, 2 oysters, 2 brood ; seventh haul, 1 oyster. CHARLOTTETOWN. In the North River we found very littl| soil or oyster ground, the greatest portion consisting of long giass and mud, but were informed there were oysters above the bridge. We were unable to go beyond the same in the steam lar iich. West HirPi-.—In Long Creek we found an abundance of oyster brood in a healthy condition and gi-owing very fast ; the oyster-bed extended nearly half a mile in length. Our hauls were as follows, (but at no time was the dredge full, as our dredging had to be done in a rowing boat): first haul, 4 oysters, 32 brood; second haul, 11 oysters, 81 brood: third haul, 10 oysters, 236 biood ; fourth haul, 20 oysters, 222 brood. After finishing dredging in Long Creek, we landed on the point ut half tide, our attention beuig called to the same ; we there also found a large quantity of brood, which dried at every ebb tide, Clyde River we found : first haul, 17 oysters, 110 brood ; second haul, 17 oysters, 120 brood ; third haul, 24 oysters, 128 brood. Vernon liiirr.-^Virst haul, 15 oysters, 151 brood ; second haul, 18 oysters, 163 brood ; third haul, 7 oysters, 300 brood. A large quantity of weed and mud exist in . all these riveis. Mr. John Finlay informed us that the grounds in Orwell Bay and Or- well Cove would compare well with the grounds already dredged upon the Vernon River. Eaxt ^t?v>'.— Through the courtesy of John MacEachern, Esq., who drove us over to Red Point down to the water's edge at low tide, along the shore fi-om point to point, where we were enabled to see sights worth looking at ; the ground being completely covered with oyster brood of a very fine shape and form, very different to the oysters we have seen on the other beds this part of the island. Mr. MacEachern inform"ed us that a continuation of this brood was to be found on every point for ten or fifteen miles along the river. Individuals who have leased oyster grounds, would do well to restock their beds by j)icking this brood, and planting their lieds with the same. As a rule oyster br«P "'««•« fuHy. The cultch and shells which accumu- lated on these beds have been removed from the top, and placed on the mud on the nnSrt F% "" • " T"t ^^ *''' '^^'^^ *''^"«^'' ^^ ^^e mud diggers ; and having h^l an linT^/ l''"T '*'" ,^"""1. '^^r ^ ^^"^^^^ ^'^^ ^•°'-'^' I am pleased to state^that the ground has been cleaned on the edges, making the bed very much larger than I had previously anticipated, and the soil is clean on the portion where I have^een engage^ ami IS now ready for restocking with oyster brood. '="S»fe«u. I have tried on other parts of the bay which I find dirty, but can also state there has been a small quantity bf spat fall during this last summer! After these grounds have been stocked a large quantity of clean oyster shells will be necess^-y to be ha^l in readiness to lay on the' gl-ounds to endeavou^r to catch Z Sf ;t„t?nf r' 'Tu ^'T^u ^ '*"'*'y depended upon, as it entirely depends upon the stote of the weather and the temperature of the water. No oysters liave been planted in Shediac this fall, although I had made arranee- ments with Mr MacEachern, of Charlottetown, P.E.I.'; when I was ready for them T ZffnJ' H'*r T """^ '""'" '":,?*^'^'' ^^^ '^"^'^ ^"^^^ "^^^^y^ i'^ reaching him, when it subject, stating I had better come over and make other arrangements, if I wished for SZ'Jtl *^. "" planted this season : through this delay the season became so a 2it If u ' ''' **^ exposure of the oysters taken from the water to the frosty atmos phere, tl... change of water, the temperature falling each day, and the risk of oysters lying on the ground the whole of the winter, the loss would undoubtedly be .^reat Young oysters taken in the spring will have survived the winter, thi change of water and temperature becoming warmer, gives the oyster every chance to live and grow. GENERAL REMARKS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. ,, 7';^ ''P^'''' fi«l»«7 ^" ,<^anada can be largely developed, and I would advise that the fol owing restrictions be placed on all ..yster grounds, as these will become more valuable every year. 1 Boats engaged in the oyster fishery should be duly licensed, registeredand numbered with the respective ports to which they belong, having a number painted in large hguies on the boat as well as her name, in the same manner as is done in the United Kingdom, I ranee, Belgium, Holland and other European countries. The above system answers admirably and most effectually in British and continental waters. It seems to be an excellent way of preserving this and other fishing industries. 1. Licenses might be granted to oyster fishermen; each license having a list of rules printed at the foot, such as : No r .ind oysters to be landed under two inches in dmmeter, ovlor,^ oysters under three inches in length, under penalty of a fine for each ottence. The rule Nvould apply only to localities where the above size coulc' be defined as sizes vary according to different waters, but the above rule would apply to all places visited by me and mentioned in this report. 3. No fishing for oysters to be allowed on Sunday, nor at any time during the close tv-Tu'L""""*'^'" ''* ^"^}^ ^^'""8 Iwat to correspond with the license held by them. VV ith the as.sistance of the alwve rules, a record of boats and men could )je kept, showing the number of people engaged in this industry, and whether it prospered or not! It would also be useful to fishery officers, for the purpose of detecting boats poaching during the close sea.son, or fishing on licensed or reserved grounds. T 0Y.STER FISHING IJJ WINTER. The fishing of oysters through the ice having been stopped by Oi-der-in-Council, I have no doubt such a measure will go a very long way towaixls protecting and preserving the t: o d GENERAL B^IMARKS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. H beck Where this practice has been carried on, as has previ.nsly been done o. most beds, heaps of refuse, consisting of dead shells and mud are foun^d 7we umbe.T of dead young oyster shells are also found bleached by exposur • the loss Jfvs p^ in !h?! way must have been enormous. Where the ice Ls ^ot ac^uSuy Lf o'fthe bSl has the practical effect of protecting the oysters from changes in th^e tempera ureThs ^Zr^i ^u * H '"'' ^" ^f '"^' ?^'^'"'"' ^^h«'-« '^'^ «/«*«•• P^rcs happened to freeze MUSSEL-MUD DKUilNti. The machines used in mud digging have proved to be very destructive to oyster grounds, and then- mjurious effect is noticeable on nearly every Ld I have vis tec^ muddilai r.^;. gmunds have suffered very much from the effects of the mussel- mud diggei , these machines having been working on the best portions of oyster-beds n tre7eari8S5\:T '1r"?A ''^- Charles /annington, C.£ of Old Sh^c^ac S at oneSe on the": Ss ''^" ''"*^'-""" °' ''^^^ "'^^'^"'^^ ^^"^ '^' ^'^^'^ ^ *'- - Pirrhti* S ^^ti'^ated by experienced men that one of these machines will destroy an eS \LZ T '" "? T,"''- '^^T "^" ^^« ''"'^^ "•• *'-«"^»'-'^ "ght through the leet in wic th. These holes will hll up in course of time with soft mud and It IS very difhcult to lay a foundation on such a soil, to restore thrbefk o tS original shape It can thus be seen where the oyster-beds have gone to Oyster-beds can never be cultivated where the mud digger is allowed to work ft wouTrS^isaSr ?"' f-lT'' ^"^r.-ff-^l ^y I'-ng -o- contracted ealy^ear! It would be advisable to prohibit mussel digging altogether. PKEPARATION OF GROUNDS. Oysters cannot thrive where the ground is composed of moving sand.'or where mud s deposited ; consequently, since the size and number of these places are becomh g an f t hrremkiTd J " ""I '"«" ^^"^"^"f "* '^' ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ -" «"^ * resting'pTaTe! wandeinn w ^Tt ^^ ^''""^ ''•'^" ^"''''^•^ ''»'»*='> ™™en«« quantities of the wandering spat (or fry) may settle on it, and thus be saved. As a rule, the natural beds occupy most of the suitable space in their own vicinity. Unoccupied ground may however be prepared for the reception of new beds, by spr^eading sand grav^eland S bTnuTtin?d'"''°"'; ""' "^""I "r^ ^«P* "P ''^ '°-^^«"« f-- I^rr-nTuatu'l beds, by putting down oysters and cultch, just before the time of breeding, thus jjivine 5eZ; tLm."" ^ "' '"'""'^''^ '''''''' *'" ^"'•^•^"^^ -^ --"«« have^'had tfme "o The simplest form of oyster-culture is the preservation of khe natural oyster-beds Upon this, in fact depends the whole future ef the industry, since it is not probable tciXrl^l H ^'•^^fir^^"^^'"^ "^" t^ ''«^'«^^ «" these'shores, on accolHf ^^t' tecting the seed dunng the long winter, which will render it possible to keep up a Tup- c^ndit^i^r Tt T' '^^J^^.^'^""! r^^^- to «eed oysters produced under ^natural conditions It is the opinion of almost all who have studied the subject that anv natural bed may in time be destroyed by over-fishing, by burying the biSL oysters^ by covering up the projections suitable for the reception of s^,irby ^k^i-n fut'^rf spa^s '' ''^ '^"'^^""' '^' "^^"' ^'^'^ ""'^ srciklly fitted to receive th^ R..if„T'^^^1'"' H"*'?y,'l"ot«« = "As regarc' tr-e future of the oyster industry in Great Britain and are doubtless just as applicab. u- other countries, that the only hope for TsZZ:ZT^l '"r " *^~tg--f of oyster^ultur;, and in the Se'veloEme^ deiSS" '^reeding oysters under such conditions that the spat shall te safely 12 OYi>TEB FISHERIES IN CANADA. • OYSTKR FOOD. In discussing the question of oyster food in its many aspects, tlie general character should first be examined. The oyster, it is well known, is quite an epicure in its feed- ing, preying almost entirely upon the minute, lowly organized plants that float or swim in its neighbourhood. With its shell slightly opened, and with the dark coloured sensory margins of its mantle protruding, it draws into its shell a narrowing food-bear- ing water current. When it once draws in the current, it carefully screens out the minute food particles, and passes out a stream of filtered water. It avoids if possible ingesting sand or njud. Oyster food, it will be found, consists mainly of diatoms, a particular kind of minute, lo 1y organized plant that have the remarkable power of moving freely about in the wai, v. Unlike any other plant they are incased in a pair of saucer-like glassy shells, fitted one to the other like the lid to a pill box. The glassy cases of the minutfl plants appear in no way to inconvenience the oyster's digestion. The mucilaginous sheathing that encases prominently many diatoms, is first dissolved, and the digestive juices find their way through the intricate glassy valves, speedily attacking and reducing the jelly-like contents, together with the inclosed golden-brown pigment pellets. The emptied diatoms appear to settle gradually, and are soon brushed by countless cilia from the stomach to the intestine. TEMPERATIKE. 1 During my inspection the temperature of the water hivs lieen closely watched, and it has been found to be very even throughout the whole of the waters. There is no reason why there should not be a spat fall each year if the grounds are in a fit condition to receive the same ; and with careful attention, I do not see why these grounds after restocking should not be as prolific as they originally were. TRANSPLANTING OYSTERS. The removal of oysters from one ground to another has the general efiFeot of im- proving both theii flavour and size. The spring of the year is the best time for planting. By placing the oysters in shallow water during the spring and summer months, they will grow much faster than if placed in deeper water, as the sun causes the water to become much warmer, the oyster being very sensitive to the action of light and heat, ■which promotes a rapid growth. Oysters planted in the autumn are not so likely to thrive, as owing to the change of soil and falling temperature, the oyster is not properly climatized before winter sets in, which very often proves disastrous. Oysters grow but very little during the winter months, consequently it is all risk and loss with no gain, although there are exceptions in every case. CLOSE SEASON. The close season is at preseiit from 1st June to 7 5tii September ; while this is against the reserved notion that no oysters should be eaten during the months without an R, I think the dates are well chosen. In Ireland, the close season extends from the 1st May to 1st September, but the Fishery Commissioners have power to alter it; and have exercised such authority in numerous instances. In England, the close season is from 1 4th May to 4th August, which often proves to be the hottest month of the year. No doubt, the 1st October would, in some ways, be preferable in Canada ; but the season, now that winter fishing is prohibited is already so short, lasting a lifctle over two months and a half, that it would seem very hard to further curtail it. If the weather gets warm in the latter end of September, it is the shipper's business to use his judgment in sending oysters to market. That is one great advantage of a person holding a license for an GENERAL REMARKS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 13 area of oyster grounds ; he can meet the demands of the market without overstocking it, by sending the best quality and size, leaving his small ones to develop into full-grown oysters. During the whole inspection, in no single instance have I seen any death or marine enemy to the oyster, which '-> very remarkable over such an extensive area of ground. Taking everything into consideration, if care, attention and protection is given to the oyster grounds in the Dominion, oysters ought to be found in all waters so adapted. I have the honour to be, sir, Your obedient servant, ERNEST KEMP, Oyster Expert.