Oyster Farms.

Closely allied to fish curing, and especially so as regards the employment of the fishing smacks on the coast, is the conservation and improvement of the valuable oyster beds in Foveaux straits. Mr Pearson has almost ex-hausted this question in his interesting report which was presented to the Provincial Council of Otago in 1875. He shows the value of the oyster beds by referring to the cutter Fly, 18 tons register, which some years ago sailed into Oyster Cove, Stewart Island, and filled up in four tides by shovelling the oysters up into the hold of the vessel. Returning to Dunedin the owner realised £350, the purchaser clearing the oysters out of the cutter. The Stewart Island oyster is highly esteemed in Melbourne, and with suitable welled crafts there is no reason why we should not in time have a large and profitable trade with Australia.

Then again there are the fish with which the rivers and lakes of this district are being stocked. I recently tasted a splendid river trout which turned the scale before it was cooked at 7lbs, and from the accounts given by residents in several parts of the district a few years will so increase the supply of trout that they will become available for daily consumption.