16'J BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



could be tried at trifling expense. The Current in Bayou Cook, like that in nearly all the salt or 

 brackish bayous, while bringing down the finest food for the fattening of planted oysters, prevents 

 to a great degree the satisfa. -lory "fixing of spat," as the spawn is carried out, in large part, into 

 Hastian Hay or the Gulf, into which Bayou Cook empties, where it is nearly entirely lost. The 

 reckless and wasteful fishing of the natural reefs in that neighborhood has denuded and destroyed 

 them, so that planters in the bayou now have to go over 60 miles to the westward, mainly to 

 Timbalier Hay. to get seed or young oysters for planting. The Timbalier natural reefs are bring 

 rapidly exhausted from the same causes as the eastward, and fishing in a few years will be entirely 

 exhausted unless the matter is regulated by stringent legislation and execution of the laws. Tin- 

 planters, and indeed the iisbers for market, will be forced to go farther west still when the Timbalier 

 fisheries are destroyed. 



It is therefore contemplated for the company to raise its own seed in the following manner: The 

 soil on the banks of the bayou being soft and marshy, an area of a quarter or half an acre c;in be 

 readily excavated by spading to the depth of from 4 to 6 feet. An inlet, say 10 feet wide, can be cut 

 in from the bayou so as to admit the waters thereof, and a similar outlet can be made into the l>:iy, 

 through which the water can be partially discharged into the sea at low tide, the reverse flow taking 

 place at high title. These openings may be closed by close-meshed nettings of galvanized wire or 

 other suitable material, so as to protect the breeding oysters and spawn in the pond to a great extent 

 at least from drum fish, starfish, boxers, conchs, crabs, and other enemies of the oyster. Benches of 

 poles can then be erected in the "claire" or pond, and on them will be placed earthenware tiles, or 

 half tiles, previously limed. These tiles or half tiles can be procured from a tile factory a few miles 

 above on the Mississippi River at a nominal price for the broken or damaged unsalable half tifes 

 which would answer the purpose. 



The pond or "claire" can then be. stocked with breeding oysters, carefully selected from prime 

 stoek. Indeed, by importation from northern and eastern quarters, crosses could be experimented with 

 by interbreeding with the native, bivalve. In the spawn ing season the ova of the female and the milt of 

 the male would, in this comparatively still water, more readily coalesce with their ''affinities" of the 

 nppo-.it! se\, :md a larger product of the embryo oyster be furnished This embryo or "spat" would 

 readily "fix" on the tiles. When this spat is sufficiently developed in si/e to plant, the wire-netting 

 screens can be removed and small flatboats or shallops introduced into the "claires," the tiles covered 

 with spat removed from the benches and loaded on the flatboats. These being carried out into the 

 bayou, the young plants can be scaled off the tiles with trowels or similar instruments, and dropped 

 into and on the plant or growing beds, there to fatten, grow, and mature until ready for market. 

 The tiles being then relimed may be placed back in the " claires" ready for the "fixing'' of the next 

 season's spat. In other words, the "claires" would be used as nurseries for the raising and growing 

 of spat, which might be perhaps further improved and developed by artificial feeding. 



The system is called the "French,'' but is in fact the old Roman method, as frequent mention is 

 made in the old Latin writers of "oyster ponds." The French, it is said by French writers, have 

 also made use of these "claires" a-- "eYoles des huitres," by which they profess to be able to leach 

 the oysters, by gradually increasing the length of time during which the oyster is without water, to 

 take in an extra supply of water like a camel about to cross a desert, so as to last through transporta 

 tion on long voyages and keep the mollusks in good condition. It is not definitely Known that this 

 last method has ever been tried in America, although it is believed that it, lias been --and that suc- 

 cessfully. American biologists (humorously styled here "oyster sharps") are, however, skeptical on 

 the subject. The French governmental reports seem to substantiate the practicability of the method. 



Incase the idea is adopted, when the Bayou Cook Company gets into operation it will report 

 progress and results to the United States Fish Commission. If successful, each oyster-culturist \\ill 

 be independent of the natural reefs, can obtain all the necessary seed or spat in his own inclosure, 

 and vastly improve the poorer species of the native oyster by interbreeding with other and choicer 

 varieties, besides improving much the preservation of oysters in shipment in their full excellence 

 when delivered to the consumer at far distant points. If successful, it could be conducted on a very 

 largo scale, and it would be profitable for some planters to embark in the business of raising and 

 selling the young plants exclusively as a special branch of the trade. It would produce a revolution 

 in oyster-culture. 



Iii reference to the opposition of oystermen to the enactment of oyster- pi an ting 

 laws, Mr. Ulackford referred to meetings at which the oyster fishermen had had their 



