18 



or nciybboriiiy gulf before being carried to market. ]>y tbis 

 means tbeir flavor was mueb improved and tlieir valiu^ corre- 

 spondingly increased. * 



A feAV years ago a small plant some acres in extent was 

 made at tbe north side of Weeks Bay by the superintendent of 

 the salt mine on Weeks Island. At the time this i)]ant was 

 visited in Aiignst, 1905, all of the oysters, large and small, 

 were tlT^i^ SXjOl^ . 



At the present time there are in Vermilion and ll)eria Par- 

 ishes fourteen leased areas, aggregating 1,622.1 acres. These 

 leased areas are all in Vermilion Bay and its tributaries, witb 

 the exception of four small holdings in Mound Lake and l)ayou. 

 on the outer side of ]\rarsh Island. 



The bottoms selected for planting i)urp()ses have ])eeti, willi 

 one or two exceptions, those where in the ])asl oysters ol" good 

 quality were found, but whereas the result of over tisbing and 

 freshets, the reefs have become practically extinct. 



The method of planting used has been that of bedding seed 

 oysters taken from the natural reefs in the bay of pass. The 

 seed has been in most cases coony oysters taken from the densely 

 i;rowded reefs. In some cases, at least, the seed oysters were 

 put down just as they were taken from the natural i-eefs, with- 

 out any attempt to break up the clusters and liberate the oysters 

 com])()sing them from the oppressive condition to wbicli they 

 had been subjected. 



The beds were made with no preliminary hardening of the 

 bottom, and over some parts of the plants tbe oysters wer(> 

 found to have settled into the mud until they >vere completely 

 covered. 



In no case, so far as cc^dd be learned by inquii-y, has any 

 attempt been made to estal)]ish an artificial reef l)y exi)osing 

 clutch to afford a place of attachment for the free swimming 

 fry when they are ready to settle down. 



That fry are abundant in these waters during the breeding 

 season is shown by the presence of young oysters on almost 

 every foreign substance that would afford them supi)ort. 



Owing to tbe unusually adverse (-ouditions that prevailed 

 during the past spring and early suiinner. when th<' \vat<M- in the 

 upper i)art of Vermilion Bay and its ti'ibutaries was alisolutelv 



