80 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



and most economical way out of the difficulty, and large quantities 

 were therefore carried to Whale Cove and laid down on the spatting- 

 beds. In this way was established the methods of oyster-culture now 

 in vogue. 



Since the preparation of the Coast Survey charts of this region the 

 topography has greatly changed, the marshes formerly existing in the 

 northern and western part of the bay being now cut up into numerous 

 small islands and channels. The dam built across the head of Gi'and 

 Bayou has resulted iu the complete closure of the mouth of the bayou, 

 which is now iu its southern half, separated from Whale Bay merely by 

 a chain of narrow islands with j)asses between. It is upon these islands, 

 both in the bay and along the shores of Grand Bayou, that most of the 

 planting is done. 



The area of bottom naturally available for oyster-culture appears to 

 be extremely limited, being confined to narrow strips along shore and 

 varying in width in different localities, iu Grand Bayou extending 

 from shore to a distance of from 25 to 50 feet. Outside of this zone the 

 bottom is generally soft — often extremely so — and it is never utilized 

 for planting. Under the laws of the State each planter is entitled to 

 hold 10 acres in his own right, but for the reasons stated it usually 

 happens that a large proportion of his holding is useless for his pur- 

 poses. There are about six men planting here, and their holdings 

 probably amount to between 100 and 125 acres, some of them occupy- 

 ing bottom in the names of friends or members of their families. Most 

 of them appear to be anxious to increase their acreage, but they claim 

 that the entire available area is now occupied. Notwithstanding this 

 demand for extension, no effort has been made to improve the bottom 

 in such a manner as to render it suitable for planting. It seems prob- 

 able that this might be done by covering the mud with a thin laj^er of 

 sand, such as can be readily obtained at the mouth of Grand Bayou 

 and at other places in the vicinity. As is well known, this method has 

 been employed with great success elsewhere, and a large amount of 

 valuable oyster-land in Connecticut was useless until similar measures 

 were adopted. The problem is an economic one and hinges upon the 

 question whether or not the price obtained for oysters from this region 

 is sufficient to warrant the expenditure. As the sand costs nothing, 

 the only expense would be for labor and transportation, neither of 

 which would be a large item under the conditions here prevailing. 



At the present time all shells and other available materials — tin cans, 

 stones, bones, etc. — are strewn along the shores of the marsh below the 

 level of high water and out from the shores to the depth of a foot or 

 18 inches. Much of this material is thrown among the grasses and 

 sedges, where it is never covered by more than a few inches of water, 

 even at high tide. It is stated, and undoubtedly upon good grounds, 

 that in this extremely shoal water the young oysters are less suscepti- 

 ble to the attacks of enemies, and it is also claimed that they grow more 

 rapidly than when they are in deej)er water. 



