OYSTER-BEDS OF LOUISIANA. 87 



OYSTER-PLANTING IN TERREBONNE PARISH. 



In Terrebonne Bay there are but few men planting oysters as com- 

 pared with the large numbers engaged in fishing on the natural reefs. 

 In the parish of Terrebonne, which includes the greatest and most 

 productive oyster region in the State, there were but 32 oyster-planters 

 to whom licenses had been granted in 1898, although it is stated that 

 next season there will be a very material increase in the number, there 

 being about 50 .applicants now waiting for the survey of their beds. 

 Of the 32 planters whose claims are registered there are not over 15 in 

 Terrebonne Bay, the rest of them being in the bays and lakes lying to 

 the westward. Most of the planting consists in the bedding of seed 

 obtained from the many natural reefs in the bay. Comparatively few 

 shells are planted, notwithstanding that at least 100,000 barrels are 

 piled around the oyster- canneries at Houma, where they could be 

 obtained for little or nothing and carried on the boats returning from 

 that place to the oyster-beds. Most of the planted oysters are in the 

 bayous and coves in the northern part of the bay. They are said to 

 reach marketable dimensions when about 3 years old. 



In Pelican Lake, a branch of Pelto Bay, there are several camps 

 with bedding-grounds protected by stockades or fences. On the fiats 

 there are a great many raccoon oysters which are worthless in their 

 present condition, but which might be utilized with profit for planting 

 purposes. Such oysters when culled and planted upon good bottom 

 undergo great improvement both in shape and condition, and in a year 

 should be fit for market and hardly distinguishable from those which 

 grew under good conditions from the start. 



In Wilson Bay the oysters are said to get fat early in the season, and 

 as the natural beds there are nearly exhausted it is quite probpble that 

 this would prove a good field for an attempt at planting. 



In Lake Chien planting began about five years ago, when the natural 

 reefs were approaching depletion, and there are now three or four pri- 

 vate oyster-beds. Most of these are on the original natural reefs, which 

 afford about the only hard bottom in the lake. A few shells are planted, 

 but most of the seed is obtained from the raccoon oyster-beds in the 

 surrounding bayous. When placed in deeper water, these inferior 

 oysters improve very much in shape and flavor and are ready for market 

 in about a year from the time of planting. They are said to get fat in 

 September, but at the time the lake was visited (March, 1898) they 

 were but moderately fat, although of very fair flavor. Both drumfish 

 and snails are here very troublesome at times. 



At Bayou de Large there are several men engaged in oyster-planting, 

 small oysters being planted one year and marketed the next; and in 

 Sister Lake and King Lake, both included in Lake Caillou as shown on 

 the charts, some of the men engaged in oystering on the natural reefs 

 have small planting- grounds. 



Jack Stout Bayou and Bayou Provencal are considered the best 



