FISHERIES OF THE GULF .STATES. 147 



present oysteruien of Jefferson Parish work on the reefs in Lafourche 

 and Terrebonne parishes. 



Between the Lafourche and the Atchafalaya rivers in the southern 

 part of Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes are located the principal 

 oyster reefs of Louisiana, and from them are drawn the suj)plies for 

 Houma and Morgan City and much of tliose for New Orleans, as well 

 as the oysters for bedding- at Bayou Cook. These reefs are situated 

 in Lake Barre, Timbalier Bay. 



The market for these oysters prior to 1880 was New Orleans, together 

 with a small consumption in the villages and settlements near the reefs; 

 but in 1880 the wholesale trade was started at Morgan City and ten 

 years later several shucking houses were established at Houma for 

 shipping oysters to distant points. The trade has fluctuated consider- 

 ably from year to year, but has gradually increased. Although the 

 trade in 1897 was much less than usual, on account of the quarantine 

 regulations, yet this section of Louisiana furnished 230,380 barrels of 

 oysters, for which the fishermen received §228,164. Of this quantity 

 84,468 barrels were marketed at Houma, 95,834 barrels at Morgan 

 City, and 50,078 barrels were consumed in New Orleans and in the set- 

 tlements adjacent to the reefs. In addition thereto there were about 

 100,000 barrels of oysters taken for bedding in Terrebonne, Lafourche, 

 Jefferson, and Plaquemines parishes, which are not included in the 

 tables. The number of persons engaged in tonging and transporting 

 these oysters to market was 1,012, using 646 sailboats, worth $85,716, and 

 a large number of skiffs, worth from $8 to $20 each. A number of areas 

 have been preempted in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes, and some 

 attention has been given during the last year or two to oyster-culture 

 in this section, but the yield from private grounds was inconsiderable 

 in 1897. It is customary for the oystermen to bed the oysters taken at 

 the beginning of the season and before the market houses have opened, 

 but these oysters are usually taken up when the market demand is good. 



As used in this connection, a barrel signifies a flour barrel with 

 capacity for 2^ bushels of oysters, and not the local measurement. At 

 no place on the Louisiana coast is a standard measure used in handling 

 oysters. At the French Market in New Orleans a basket of uniform 

 size is used, and in filling it the oysters are heaped up to a point as 

 long as any will remain on and the contents of two of these baskets is 

 considered a barrel, although it is equivalent to only about 85 per cent 

 of a standard barrel. At the Old Basin until quite recently a shallow 

 box was used, this being filled up to a point as in case of the baskets at 

 the French Market and the contents of four of these boxes is considered 

 a barrel, although it is equivalent to only 90 per cent of a barrel. At 

 Morgan City and Houma measurements are made with baskets of uni- 

 form size, three of which are supposed to make a barrelful ; but at the 

 reefs these are usually heaped, whereas at the markets they are filled 

 even with the rim, and the gain in number of barrels is considerable, 

 amounting usually to 50 per cent of the reef measurement. 



