902 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [18] 
} 
of the spat, but it is also more expensive. The parkers of Vivier place 
their apparatus during the months of May and June. They have not 
yet constructed claires in their breeding-parks, but several have ob- 
tained grants in the harbor of Roteneuf, a small well-sheltered bay, sit- 
uated between Vivier and Saint-Malo, where they will doubtless meet 
with more favorable conditions for the formation of breeding-parks, the 
indispensable complement of all well-regulated oyster-cultural enter- 
prises. Moreover, the revival of oyster culture in the subdistrict of Saint- 
Servan is of quité recent date; the establishment at Vivier and those 
at several other places are still few in number, and the methods em- 
ployed have not been so much perfected as at Arcachon or Auray. 
CONCLUSION. 
The foregoing statements will give an idea of the new industry which 
has already taken firm root in some of our coast districts, and which 
will probably be established in other localities wherever there are men 
of enterprise and intelligence. Let us add that, according to the com- 
mon estimates, the establishment of an oyster-park, such as we have de- 
scribed, with an extent of one hectare (24 acres), requires an expenditure 
of from seven to eight thousand francs ($1,400 to $1,600) for the prepa- 
ration of the ground, the purchase of the various implements and the 
first expenses of preparation, &c. As to the results obtained, they 
necessarily vary greatly, according to the more or less favorable char- 
acter of the locality selected, the skill and care displayed by the oyster 
culturists, and the abundance of the spawn; with regard to the latter 
item there are considerable variations from year to year. The oyster 
culturist who happens to commence during an unfavorable season should 
not be discouraged at the ill success of his first efforts. The parks of 
the basin of Arcachon and those of Morbihan were severely tried at 
first, but the fruitful years which followed have made ample amends for 
the early losses ; with a gain in experience the inequalities of the different 
years will doubtless be less sensibly felt in the future. Everything 
tends in this direction; the constant improvement in the means of trans- 
portation will facilitate the sale of the excess of production during cer- 
tain years, while the multiplication of claires and breeding-parks will 
render it possible to store up richer harvests and preserve them for 
times of scarcity. 
The part devolving upon the administration—Supervision.—It may also 
be relied upon that the marine authorities will not fail in the proper dis- 
charge of their duties, the importance of which is better realiged now than 
ever. They will take special care to preserve the natural oyster-beds, 
the sources of present prosperity and the pledge of future development. 
Already, thanks to their incessant watchfulness, and to the reservation 
of important sections of the bays of Granville and Cancale, the restock- 
ing of these regions, formerly so prolific in oysters, is progressing favor- 
ably in the vicinity of Cancale, where, during a few low tides last season 
