24 



Olid of two ov three years it was impossible to tell the parent 

 oysters from the younger ones, so rapid had been the growth of 

 the latter. 



Records of the known rate of growth of oysters in other 

 l)arts of Louisiana, where conditions are no more favorable than 

 these investigations have shown them to be in the waters of 

 Vermilion Bay and the gulf, would show that in two years from 

 the time of the settling of the spat, oysters of remarkable size 

 would have grown on the beds. An artificial bed made by plant- 

 ing shells, would, if worked in a reasonable manner, be self-per- 

 petuating and yield a steady supply of good oysters year after 

 year. 



The use of small shells, such as the clam shells found so 

 abundantly at many points along the coast, will lessen the labor 

 of caring for a plant. F>wer spat will settle ou the small shells 

 and the damage by crowding will be correspondingly lessened. 

 Bottom in the upper part of Vermilion Bay or its tribu- 

 taries might be used for fattening grounds, to bed for a short 

 time oysters grown in the more salt waters of the gulf. The 

 salinity of the water in these sheltered places is iii winter con- 

 siderably lower than that of the gulf water, so that oysters put 

 down in these places would show a marked increase in the 

 amount of "meats" taken from a given number of oysters. 

 These locations just mentioned, where there is especial danger 

 from spring freshets, could be utilized as bedding grounds from 

 the time one period of freshet had passed until the approach of 

 the following spring. Oysters of good size put down on these 

 grounds in the early fall would be in excellent condition, and 

 • would probably shoA\' a marked increase in size before the last 

 of the oyster season. , 



The recovery of the planted areas M'here the oysters were 

 killed by fresh water during the past spring would be brought 

 about more quickly and surely by depositing on them some fully 

 grown oysters to furnish spat at the coming breeding season. 

 Moreover, the oysters that have grown on any bed from the 

 time of their attachment are more hardy than those that have 

 undergone the shock of handling and being exposed to a new 

 set of physical, and to some extent, new biological conditions. 



In the short pei-iod of time covered bv this studv it was im- 



