Foreign Brood Oysters.

Immense quantities of oyster brood are brought from France and else­ where, to fatten on the Whitstable beds, where the various kinds are carefully kept separate. The importation of foreigners, however, is no new thing, for the Kentish Gazette of 1769 (March i8 to March 22) contains the following advertisement :

"This is to acquaint all Persons that the Oyster-men's Company of Whitstable have agreed to lay out upon West Country Oysters the sum of Six Hundred Pounds to be brought only from Shoreham, Portsmouth or Pool. Any person that chooses to go for them, may have One Pound sixteen shillings upon a Wash, but must be delivered in good condition fit to lay on the grounds, and also delivered by the In-Ground Tub upon the Shalls at Whitstable in Kent."

Poaching.

As an evidence of the great care then necessary to be taken to prevent poaching and injury to the beds, the following notice in the Kentish Gazette, dated August 19th to 23rd, 1769, affords information:-

"Manor of Whitstable and Royalty of Oyster Fishery within the said Manor. Whereas many disorderly persons have made a common Practise of Trawling, Dredging, Fishing, and anchoring their vessels on the abovesaid Oyster Grounds, belonging to the Right Honourable Frederick Lord Viscount Bolingbroke, whereby many oyster and other shell-fish have been taken and carried away, and the soil broke up and disturbed, to the great detriment of the said Oyster Grounds and Company of Freemen of the said Fishery. This is therefore to give Notice, that whoever is found Trawling, Dredging, or Fishing on the said Oyster Grounds, and shall refuse paying Anchorage to the Water Bailiff, according to ancient Custom of the said Manor, will be prosecuted at the utmost Rigour of the Law."

The Company's Headquarters.

It must be confessed that the head­quarters on shore of this important company are not particularly attractive to the seeker of architectural beauty. A few years ago the old building, which may have been interesting to the anti­quary, was removed, and a substantial looking plain brick building took its place, from which ten to fifteen million oysters are distributed annually to numerous customers in the United Kingdom and abroad.

On the ground floor are the offices and the storehouses, in which latter part are the tanks, where oysters can be placed temporarily if not immediately required for sale.

The two tanks measure 30 feet by 20 feet, and 40 feet by 20 feet, and contain an average depth of 5 feet of sea water, obtained through a pipe regularly once a day. They hold about four hundred thousand oysters, suspended in bags. On the upper floor is a large hall where the meetings of the Company are held.