36 OYSTER CULTURE EXPERIMENTS IN LOUISIANA. 



which good oysters are produced in considerable quantities, the beds 

 in Iberia and St. Mary parishes furnishing oysters of low grade, 

 few of which are useful for purposes other than steaming. In the 

 oyster season of 1906-7 Terrebonne Parish produced about 190,000 

 bushels of oysters, and in the following season approximately 300,000 

 bushels, the increase being due to the beginning of productiveness of 

 several extensive leaseholds. 



In 1897, 353,000 bushels of oysters were produced in the parish, 

 I)ractically all of which came from the natural beds. Mr. L. R. 

 Gary « states that many of the productive natural beds examined by 

 the senior author in 1898 had been almost obliterated in 1907, and 

 that the greater part of the oysters produced in the parish in the 

 latter year were derived from planted beds. 



In 1898 there were in effect in this parish but 32 leases, the 

 aggregate area of which could not, legally, have been in excess of 

 320 acres, and in reality was jjrobably less. In 1908 there were in 

 force about 430 leases, aggregating about 6,000 acres. Most of these 

 were for parcels of less than 20 acres, but there were several holdings 

 of between 100 and 1,000 acres. The recent tendency has been for 

 the large leaseholders to surrender parts of their bottom, retaining 

 such portions only as experience has indicated to be the most suitable 

 and profitable for oyster culture. 



The methods of culture followed usually have not been such as to 

 produce the best grade of oysters. Very few shells are planted and 

 the seed obtained from the natural beds is usually planted without 

 culling, the result being that the oysters grow in large clusters to 

 the serious detriment of their shape and nutrition. If care were 

 exercised to break up the clusters properly into smaller ones or 

 single oysters, the product could be materially improved in shape, 

 quality, and value. 



The salinity of the waters of Terrebonne Parish appears to have 

 increased in recent years from the same causes that have operated to 

 raise the density in the upper parts of Barataria Bay, changes in 

 drainage due largely to improvements in the levee system. It is 

 stated that at places in Terrebonne and other baj^ous where oysters 

 now grow the water was formerly fresh enough for cattle to drink. 

 This is confirmed by a comparison of recent salinity observations with 

 those made in 1898, though the latter were so few that they do not 

 serve as a satisfactory criterion of conditions at that time. The 

 average salinities observed during the present investigations are 

 shown in the following table : 



" A preliminary study of the conditions of oyster culture in the waters of Terrebonne 

 Parish, La. Bulletin 9, Gulf Biologic Station, Cameron, La. 



