718 REPOKT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [46] 



to the storms they turn the oysters over (luring the bad season and 

 place them on their flat side. This ingenious arrangement renders the 

 animal less susceptible to the action of the cold, gives a better bedding 

 to the shell, and prevents it from being too easily shifted from its 

 position by the inflow of the coming and the suction of the receding 

 wave. 



MM. Grangeneuve & Co. also possess an establishment which deserves 

 special mention. M. Grangeneuve has solved the difficult problem of 

 raising the oyster in nursing-frames from its birth up to the time when 

 it is ready for the table, thereby reducing the very large expenses which 

 are incident to the practice of this method. His establishment is a very 

 fine one, and nothing has been neglected to make it one of the most 

 complete at Arcachoii. 



The establishment of M. Grenier presents equally as much interest. 

 M. Grenier is one of the oldest planters of the bay, and has rendered 

 more than one service to the industry which he has pursued for so long 

 a time. 



MM. Brown and Goubie have introduced into their pares an innovation 

 by building the bottoms and sides of their claires of cement, which 

 diminishes greatly the expense of maintenance necessitated in ordinary 

 claires. These are costly to construct, are very strong, and are espe- 

 cially good in those localities where they are exposed to the violence of 

 the sea. 



M. Vidal, on the contrary, employs for the construction of his claires 

 neither tiles, nor planks, nor cement. He has succeeded in establishing 

 with mud and clay rammed and puddled embankments sufficiently con- 

 sistent to resist the waves. It is true that the pares of which M. Vidal is 

 the proprietor in the He des Oiseaux are very m uch sheltered, and the 

 application of this system, evidently economical, would not be possible 

 for most of the concessions in the Bassin d'Arcachon. 



Besides his pares of production, M. Fillon controls a shipping-house 

 very skillfully arranged, and in which he has made numerous and inter- 

 esting experiments. M. Fillon is, moreover, one of those planters who 

 conduct the oyster-cultural industry on a grand scale. 



It remains for me yet to mention M. Surette and M. Gaston de Fara- 

 mond, who give their unceasing efforts to the progress of oyster cul- 

 ture. 



Before summing up with some statistical tables, I pause a moment 

 to say that the products of Arcachon are not all as we see them com- 

 monly in our markets. Those minute oysters that the parqueur, im- 

 patient to realize on, sends to market as soon as they attain the pre- 

 scribed dimensions of 5 centimeters, are to be regarded as subjects 

 which have not attained their complete development. 



There exist in the Bassin d'Arcachon 3,317 pares, giving employment 

 to 3,394 persons, and occupying an area of 3,836 hectares. The pro- 



