﻿OYSTER 
  BOTTOMS 
  OF 
  LAVACA 
  BAY, 
  TEX. 
  45 
  

  

  bility 
  of 
  the 
  bottoms 
  there, 
  and 
  there 
  may 
  be 
  difficulties 
  due 
  to 
  other 
  

   conditions. 
  

  

  In 
  any 
  event, 
  we 
  do 
  not 
  recommend 
  oyster 
  culture 
  in 
  Lavaca 
  Bay 
  

   so 
  long 
  as 
  the 
  present 
  dense 
  oyster 
  population 
  is 
  maintained. 
  

  

  RESUME, 
  CONCLUSIONS, 
  AND 
  RECOMMENDATIONS. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  is 
  a 
  synopsis 
  of 
  the 
  results 
  of 
  the 
  survey 
  detailed 
  in 
  

   the 
  foregoing 
  report, 
  with 
  the 
  conclusions 
  and 
  recommendations 
  

   based 
  on 
  them: 
  

  

  1. 
  The 
  survey 
  covered 
  the 
  entire 
  area 
  of 
  Lavaca 
  Bay, 
  approxi- 
  

   mately 
  38,103 
  acres, 
  or 
  nearly 
  60 
  square 
  miles. 
  

  

  2. 
  The 
  area 
  covered 
  by 
  oyster 
  beds 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  6,853 
  acres, 
  

   about 
  18 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  the 
  entire 
  bay. 
  Of 
  this, 
  about 
  6,571 
  acres, 
  or 
  

   96 
  per 
  cent, 
  bore 
  oysters 
  in 
  sufficient 
  quantity 
  to 
  make 
  tonging 
  profit- 
  

   able, 
  provided 
  a 
  market 
  could 
  be 
  found 
  for 
  the 
  product. 
  

  

  3. 
  It 
  is 
  estimated 
  that 
  during 
  the 
  winter 
  1912-13 
  the 
  content 
  of 
  

   these 
  beds 
  was 
  3,296,881 
  bushels 
  of 
  oysters 
  over 
  3 
  inches 
  long 
  and 
  

   3,125,852 
  bushels 
  of 
  sm^aUer 
  ones. 
  

  

  4. 
  Although 
  the 
  quantities 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  classes 
  of 
  oysters 
  were 
  ap- 
  

   proximately 
  equal, 
  the 
  small 
  oysters 
  were 
  in 
  considerable 
  numerical 
  

   preponderance. 
  There 
  is, 
  therefore, 
  no 
  reason 
  to 
  believe 
  that 
  there 
  

   is 
  imminent 
  any 
  decrease 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  population 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  ex- 
  

   cept 
  as 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  the 
  operation 
  of 
  wholly 
  unforeseen 
  agencies, 
  such 
  

   as 
  extraordinary 
  freshets 
  or 
  the 
  inroads 
  of 
  hosts 
  of 
  oyster 
  enemies. 
  

  

  5. 
  The 
  beds 
  are, 
  at 
  present, 
  greatly 
  overpopulated, 
  and 
  this, 
  in 
  

   connection 
  with 
  their 
  great 
  extent 
  in 
  comparison 
  with 
  the 
  area 
  of 
  

   the 
  bay, 
  mihtates 
  against 
  the 
  production 
  of 
  high-grade 
  oysters 
  in 
  

   any 
  considerable 
  quantities. 
  The 
  oyster 
  industry 
  would 
  be 
  bene- 
  

   fited 
  if 
  the 
  oyster 
  population 
  in 
  the 
  bay 
  could 
  be 
  reduced 
  from 
  one- 
  

   fifth 
  to 
  one-tenth 
  of 
  its 
  present 
  size. 
  For 
  this 
  reason 
  it 
  is 
  recom- 
  

   mended 
  that 
  cuU 
  laws 
  and 
  other 
  usual 
  measures 
  to 
  preserve 
  the 
  

   oysters 
  on 
  the 
  natural 
  beds 
  be 
  repealed 
  or 
  otherwise 
  suspended 
  

   until 
  such 
  time 
  as 
  the 
  content 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  shall 
  be 
  materially 
  reduced. 
  

  

  6. 
  While 
  there 
  is 
  considerable 
  bottom 
  in 
  Lavaca 
  Bay 
  suitable 
  for 
  

   oyster 
  culture, 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  believed 
  that 
  the 
  industry 
  can 
  be 
  profitably 
  

   pursued 
  until 
  the 
  content 
  of 
  the 
  natural 
  beds 
  is 
  greatly 
  reduced. 
  

   Under 
  present 
  conditions 
  the 
  supply 
  of 
  food 
  is 
  insufficient 
  for 
  the 
  

   proper 
  feeding 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  population, 
  and 
  the 
  purposes 
  of 
  oyster 
  

   culture, 
  the 
  production 
  of 
  a 
  superior 
  oyster, 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  achieved. 
  

   The 
  enormous 
  fecundity 
  of 
  the 
  beds, 
  furthermore, 
  makes 
  it 
  difficult 
  

   or 
  impossible 
  to 
  grow 
  oysters 
  of 
  fine 
  shape. 
  Possibly 
  seed 
  oysters 
  

   taken 
  from 
  the 
  reefs 
  could 
  be 
  planted 
  to 
  advantage 
  in 
  Matagorda 
  

   Bay, 
  but 
  lack 
  of 
  information 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  general 
  conditions 
  of 
  that 
  

   body 
  of 
  water 
  causes 
  the 
  suggestion 
  to 
  be 
  made 
  with 
  some 
  hesitancy. 
  

  

  