THE OYSTER. 95 



the marine sub-district of Lorient, certain that they will 

 receive in the future what is promised by the present. 

 At the close of 1871 the parks controlled by private 

 parties in this basin numbered 724, and occupied a 

 total area of 1450 acres; at the close of 1872 they were 

 1 1 33 in number and occupied an area of 2625 acres; 

 at the close of 1874 they numbered 1706, and covered 

 an extent of 43 10 acres, not counting the portion 

 formerly included in the reserved zone but now given 

 over for parking. The denomination " Reserved Zone " 

 was applied to a considerable section of the basin, in 

 which parks were prohibited in order to retain a com- 

 mon fishing ground which could be frequented by 

 all. In view of the great increase in oyster culture at 

 Arcachon,both to satisfy the claims of the old parkers, 

 who complained that they were cramped for room, and 

 to meet the new demands which were constantly in- 

 creasing in number, the Minister of Marine decided, on 

 January 28, 1874, to open up the greater portion of the 

 reserve zone to private industry. The remainder of 

 this zone, positively withheld from private demands, 

 comprises exclusively the natural beds of the basin 

 with their immediate surroundings, which it is import- 

 ant to protect against all intrusion, as the prosperity of 

 the parks depended upon their preservation. In pur- 

 suance of the ministerial decision of January 28, the 

 first work of dividing off the sections for distribution 

 was carried on during the year 1874; a decree has 

 just been issued for the formation of 728 new parks, 

 which, added to the 1706 now existing, will make a 

 total of 2434 concessions and an extent of 6625 acres 

 to be occupied by oyster culture. A second work 



