﻿OYSTER 
  BOTTOMS 
  OF 
  LAVACA 
  BAY, 
  TEX. 
  

  

  37 
  

  

  Number 
  of 
  Oysters 
  Under 
  Three 
  Inches 
  Long 
  for 
  Each 
  One 
  Over 
  that 
  

   Length 
  on 
  the 
  Several 
  Beds 
  — 
  Continued. 
  

  

  On 
  all 
  beds 
  except 
  Hoppe 
  Lump 
  and 
  Half 
  Moon 
  Reef 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  

   considerable 
  numerical 
  preponderance 
  of 
  small 
  oysters, 
  and 
  in 
  con- 
  

   sideration 
  of 
  the 
  rapidity 
  of 
  oyster 
  growth 
  on 
  the 
  Gulf 
  coast 
  there 
  is 
  

   no 
  probability 
  that 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  will 
  fail 
  to 
  perpetuate 
  themselves 
  

   under 
  present 
  conditions, 
  unless 
  as 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  physical 
  accident 
  or 
  

   the 
  attacks 
  of 
  some 
  enemy 
  which 
  has 
  not 
  yet 
  appeared. 
  

  

  BARREN 
  BOTTOMS. 
  

  

  The 
  area 
  of 
  barren 
  bottoms 
  — 
  that 
  is, 
  those 
  which 
  are 
  not 
  naturally 
  

   productive 
  of 
  oysters 
  even 
  in 
  small 
  quantities 
  — 
  vastly 
  exceeds 
  that 
  of 
  

   the 
  natural 
  beds, 
  including 
  in 
  the 
  latter 
  those 
  so-called 
  depleted 
  areas 
  

   which 
  bear 
  practically 
  nothing. 
  These 
  bottoms 
  are 
  barren, 
  mainly 
  

   because 
  of 
  one 
  character 
  in 
  which 
  they 
  differ 
  from 
  the 
  productive 
  

   areas 
  — 
  namely, 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  devoid 
  of 
  shells 
  or 
  other 
  objects 
  lying 
  

   on 
  the 
  surface. 
  They 
  consist 
  of 
  sand 
  and 
  mud 
  of 
  varying 
  degrees 
  of 
  

   stability 
  and 
  consistency. 
  Oysters, 
  immediately 
  after 
  they 
  develop 
  

   from 
  the 
  egg, 
  for 
  a 
  brief 
  period 
  swim 
  or 
  float 
  freely 
  in 
  the 
  water, 
  

   settling 
  to 
  a 
  fixed 
  condition 
  only 
  after 
  they 
  reach 
  a 
  stage 
  of 
  consider- 
  

   able 
  development.'^ 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  not 
  necessary 
  to 
  give 
  more 
  detail 
  to 
  this 
  subject 
  other 
  than 
  to 
  

   say 
  that 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  at 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  undergoing 
  fixation 
  the 
  oysters 
  

   arc 
  very 
  minute, 
  and 
  a 
  slight 
  fihn 
  of 
  mud 
  or 
  sHme 
  is 
  sufficient 
  to 
  stifle 
  

   them. 
  During 
  the 
  spawning 
  season 
  these 
  little 
  organisms 
  are 
  present 
  

   in 
  the 
  water 
  in 
  untold 
  myriads 
  and 
  are 
  precipitated 
  to 
  the 
  bottom 
  in 
  

   a 
  continuous 
  gentle 
  drizzle 
  of 
  tiny 
  specks. 
  If 
  they 
  fall 
  on 
  an 
  oyster 
  

   bed 
  they 
  find 
  firm 
  supports 
  on 
  the 
  sheUs 
  and 
  oysters, 
  attach 
  them- 
  

   selves 
  and 
  grow, 
  but 
  if 
  they 
  fall 
  on 
  the 
  mud 
  or 
  bare 
  sand 
  they 
  die. 
  

  

  a 
  For 
  a 
  more 
  extended 
  account 
  see 
  " 
  Oysters 
  and 
  methods 
  of 
  oyster 
  culture," 
  by 
  H. 
  F. 
  Moore, 
  Bureau 
  of 
  

   Fisheries 
  Document 
  no. 
  349, 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  obtained 
  by 
  application 
  to 
  the 
  Bureau 
  at 
  Washington, 
  D. 
  C. 
  

  

  