88 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



planting-grounds in this vicinity, as the oysters get very fat there 

 early in the season. These bayous lie to the eastward of Bayou Taylor, 

 which leads to the sea from the southwestern end of King Lake. 



The maps of this part of the coast are extremely imperfect, and it is 

 impossible to say which of the charted bayous are those now under 

 discussion. 



Seed oysters are obtained from Big and Little Bays Geuope (or Geno- 

 ble"?) and from Lake Washa (Mauchas) and i^lanted on the old reefs or 

 on hard mud, the former being considered best for the purpose. When 

 ready for market they are taken up, cleaned, and rebedded upon hard, 

 clean bottom for from 3 to 7 days to wash and purge of dirt before being 

 sent to market. Oysters are planted on a small scale in other bayous 

 in the vicinity. Very little use of cultch is made by the planters in this 

 region. They depend almost entirely upon the natural reefs for their 

 seed, and instead of assisting the perpetuation of the natural oyster 

 supply they aid in its destruction. At the mouth of Taylor Bayou 

 there are great banks of shells on the outer coast readily accessible and 

 well adapted for use as cultch. If this material Avere utilized properly, 

 it would soon become unnecessary to obtain seed from the natural beds, 

 and the problem of perpetuating the reefs would present a much more 

 hopeful aspect. 



SPAWNING OF THE LOUISIANA OYSTER. 



If we may judge from the size of the spat which is found adhering to 

 hard bodies on the oyster-beds, a set occurs during almost every month 

 of the year, but the principal spawning season is between April 1 and 

 September 15, although, for reasons which are not explicable by the 

 facts at command, there appears to be considerable local variation in 

 the time at which the climax is reached. The investigations made, 

 although they are not entirely conclusive, point to the fact that the 

 oysters west of the river in general ripen before those on the east side. 

 During the last week in February the oysters of St. Bernard Parish 

 showed no indications of the near approach of the spawning season, 

 only an occasional individual emitting a few ripe eggs, while a week or 

 ten days later a considerable proportion of those west of the river, in 

 Plaquemines Parish, were decidedly "milky." 



The same variation in the time of cessation of spawning was noticed. 

 During the last week in August the oysters in Bayou Cook were still 

 spawning rather copiously, those in Bay Adam had evidently just con- 

 cluded, while those at Salt Works Canal were found to be fat and well 

 conditioned, indicating that spawning had been over for several weeks, 

 as it is not until the bulk of the spawn has been discharged that the 

 oysters begin to fatten. In St. Bernard Parish they were found to be 

 spawning freely at Three-mile Bayou and at Grand Pass on the 31st of 

 August. 



The oystermen say that spawning begins, or as they state it "the 

 oysters become milky," when the water begins to decrease in salinity 



