XXII -REPORT ON THE CONDITION OF OYSTER-CULTURE IN 



FRANCE IN 1881.* 



By Dr. P. Brocchi. 



ANALYSIS. 



Pag*. 



Preliminary remarks 1 



Origin of oyster-culture in Franco 2 



Branches of oyster-culture; production and raising 2 



Centers of production 3 



Arcachon Bay 3 



Effect of the introduction of Portuguese oysters 5 



Morbihan 7 



Raising and fattening centers 10 



Marennes 10 



Courseulles ; advantage of fresh water in fattening oysters 11 



Oyster-culture on the Mediterranean coast 12 



Condition of oyster-culture, and dangers threatening it 13 



Government action required 15 



Advice to oyster-culturists 15 



Closing acknoTvledgmeuts 15 



By a decision, dated the 30th June last, the minister of agriculture 

 and commerce, in accordance with a request made some time past by 

 the oyster-cultivators of the Breton district, and with the desire for- 

 mally expressed by the senatorial commission upon re-stocking the 

 waters, has instituted a course of oyster culture and marine pisciculture 

 in the laboratory founded by Coste at Concarenau (Finistere). 



This course, intrusted to M. Brocchi, teacher of zoology at the Na- 

 tional Agricultural Institution, was inaugurated on the 5th of Septem- 

 ber, and has been continued during one month. 



Independently of oral instruction, M. Brocchi is charged with the duty 

 of making researches in connection with the important questions to be 

 dealt with in the course. He has just addressed to the minister his first 

 report upon the observations made by him, and upon the actual condi- 

 tion of oyster-culture, which is subjoined. 



* Translation by T. H. Farrer of a report made to the minister of marine in France, 

 by M. Brocchi, relative to oyster-culture on the shores of the Channel and of the ocean, 

 and published in the Journal Officiel de la Eepublique Franfuiae, of the 8th of Novem- 

 ber, 1881 (in continuation of Parliamentary Paper No. I;i20, of session 1877.) 

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