﻿44 
  OYSTER 
  BOTTOMS 
  OF 
  LAVACA 
  BAY, 
  TEX. 
  

  

  fry 
  near 
  the 
  northern 
  Hmit 
  of 
  the 
  oyster's 
  range, 
  and 
  as 
  there 
  are 
  no 
  

   unusual 
  enemies 
  to 
  the 
  tiny 
  free-swimming 
  embryos, 
  they 
  pass 
  

   through 
  their 
  development 
  in 
  vast 
  numbers 
  and 
  set 
  on 
  every 
  available 
  

   suitable 
  body 
  exposed 
  to 
  the 
  water, 
  the 
  shells 
  of 
  the 
  planted 
  stock 
  

   being 
  no 
  exception. 
  

  

  Under 
  such 
  conditions, 
  however 
  carefully 
  the 
  seed 
  may 
  have 
  been 
  

   culled 
  into 
  singles 
  and 
  small 
  clusters, 
  each 
  becomes 
  a 
  center 
  of 
  attach- 
  

   ment 
  for 
  new 
  growth, 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  soon 
  produced 
  a 
  bunch 
  of 
  oysters, 
  

   none 
  of 
  which 
  has 
  room 
  to 
  grow 
  into 
  good 
  shape, 
  as 
  a 
  planted 
  oyster 
  

   should 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  bring 
  the 
  price 
  necessary 
  to 
  pay 
  for 
  the 
  expense 
  of 
  

   planting. 
  Not 
  only 
  are 
  the 
  oysters 
  so 
  produced 
  inferior 
  in 
  shape, 
  but 
  

   they 
  are 
  invariably 
  poor 
  in 
  quality, 
  as 
  the 
  conditions 
  under 
  which 
  

   they 
  grow 
  are 
  such 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  unable 
  to 
  get 
  the 
  proper 
  amount 
  of 
  

   nutriment 
  for 
  the 
  same 
  reasons 
  causing 
  the 
  impoverishment 
  of 
  the 
  

   food 
  supply 
  of 
  oysters 
  on 
  the 
  natural 
  beds. 
  

  

  The 
  difficulties 
  recounted 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  insuperable 
  under 
  the 
  con- 
  

   ditions 
  at 
  present 
  obtaining. 
  In 
  places 
  where 
  currents 
  slacken 
  and 
  

   silt 
  deposits 
  the 
  difficulty 
  with 
  the 
  set 
  on 
  the 
  old 
  oysters 
  would 
  be 
  

   somewhat 
  reduced 
  but 
  not 
  overcome, 
  for 
  the 
  rapid 
  production 
  of 
  new 
  

   shell 
  characteristic 
  of 
  the 
  region 
  would 
  continually 
  supply 
  clean 
  ma- 
  

   terial 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  spat 
  could 
  settle. 
  Moreover, 
  in 
  such 
  locations 
  the 
  

   poverty 
  of 
  food 
  would 
  almost 
  invariably 
  be 
  accentuated. 
  

  

  Under 
  the 
  circumstances 
  the 
  best 
  thing 
  which 
  could 
  happen 
  to 
  the 
  

   oyster 
  fishery 
  would 
  be 
  the 
  very 
  material 
  or 
  even 
  drastic 
  depletion 
  of 
  

   every 
  oyster 
  bed 
  in 
  the 
  bay. 
  If 
  they 
  contained 
  one-fifth 
  or, 
  perhaps 
  

   better, 
  one-tenth 
  of 
  their 
  present 
  content, 
  they 
  would 
  produce 
  more 
  

   marketable 
  oysters 
  than 
  they 
  do 
  at 
  present. 
  According 
  to 
  the 
  data 
  

   adduced 
  in 
  this 
  report, 
  they 
  contained 
  in 
  the 
  season 
  1912-13 
  about 
  

   eight 
  times 
  the 
  quantity 
  of 
  large 
  oysters 
  which 
  were 
  marketed 
  from 
  

   the 
  beds 
  of 
  the 
  entire 
  State 
  in 
  the 
  preceding 
  year 
  and 
  a 
  corresponding 
  

   surplus 
  of 
  young 
  oysters. 
  Here 
  is 
  a 
  case 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  principles 
  of 
  

   true 
  conservation 
  demand 
  destruction 
  rather 
  than 
  preservation, 
  and 
  

   cull 
  laws 
  and 
  other 
  measures 
  designed 
  to 
  protect 
  the 
  natural 
  beds 
  

   would 
  work 
  harm 
  rather 
  than 
  good. 
  Some 
  efficient 
  oyster 
  enemies 
  

   would 
  be 
  a 
  blessing, 
  provided, 
  of 
  course, 
  that 
  their 
  ravages 
  could 
  be 
  

   repressed 
  at 
  the 
  critical 
  time 
  when 
  their 
  work 
  had 
  progressed 
  to 
  the 
  

   proper 
  point. 
  

  

  As 
  has 
  been 
  pointed 
  out 
  in 
  several 
  places 
  in 
  this 
  report, 
  the 
  con- 
  

   ditions 
  are 
  unusual 
  and 
  the 
  only 
  practical 
  suggestion 
  wliich 
  the 
  

   authors 
  have 
  to 
  offer 
  is 
  that 
  those 
  desiring 
  to 
  engage 
  in 
  oyster 
  culture 
  

   take 
  the 
  oysters 
  from 
  the 
  reefs 
  without 
  regard 
  to 
  size, 
  break 
  up 
  the 
  

   clusters 
  and 
  plant 
  them 
  in 
  some 
  other 
  region 
  where 
  oysters 
  are 
  not 
  

   abundant. 
  Possibly 
  the 
  more 
  open 
  waters 
  of 
  Matagorda 
  Bay 
  might 
  

   be 
  utiUzed 
  for 
  this 
  purpose, 
  but 
  we 
  are 
  not 
  informed 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  suita- 
  

  

  