OYSTER BOTTOMS OF MISSISSIPPI SOUND, ALA. 59 



and about 460,000 bushels of smaller ones. As the oysters are meas- 

 ured in the fishery, these estimates would be increased to about 

 800,000 and 600,000 bushels, respectively. As an active fisher\ had 

 been conducted for some time prior to January, the content of the 

 beds at the beginning of the season was considerably greater. 



4. Although the quantity of small oysters on these beds is less than 

 of oysters of marketable size, they are numerically in excess. On the 

 areas indicated as bearing a dense growth there are two small oys- 

 ters and on the scattering growth four small oysters to each one 

 over 3 inches long. As an average of one year would be sufficient to 

 promote most of the young to the marketable class, it is apparent 

 that in the absence of disaster due to freshets or oyster enemies it 

 would be safe to take from these beds at least about 600,000 bushels, 

 as measured by oystermen, without fear of depletion. This is over 

 twice the quantity taken in Mobile County during 1911. Some of the 

 beds do not at present produce oysters of good quality; but these 

 would doubtless improve under a judicious removal of part of their 

 contents either for canning or, preferably, for transplanting either on 

 depleted natural beds or on private grounds. 



5. While the increased take from the natural beds indicated in the 

 preceding paragraph as safely allowable would permit a valuable 

 expansion in the oyster industry of the State, it without doubt will 

 not suffice for the supply of the ultimate demand, and eventually it 

 will be necessary to greatly increase the area of the oyster-producing 

 bottom. The demand will have two sources — the canneries and the 

 shell-stock and raw-shucking trade. While the former can be sat- 

 isfied by the class of oyster produced by the natural reefs, the latter 

 to a large extent demands a better grade. The demand, therefore, 

 will be for not only an increase in quantity, but an improvement in 

 quality. 



6. The conditions stated at the close of the preceding paragraph 

 can not be fully satisfied excepting by a resort to oyster culture 

 under private ownership, with its consequent demand of personal 

 interest and attention. Until recently the laws of Alabama have 

 restricted the rights to engage in oyster culture to riparian owners 

 and their lessees, but the present law permits the lease of any barren 

 bottoms belonging to the State. According to the survey, these are 

 in Mississippi Sound and its contiguous bodies within the limits of 

 Alabama, approximately 25,000 acres of barren bottom suitable for 

 oyster plant "mg or which can be made suitable at small expensCc 

 Part of this is in open waters with considerable depth and part in 

 sheltered shallow places, thus affording advantages for operation on 

 both large and small scales. 



7. In common with other places on the Gulf coast, these waters 

 offer to the oyster planter a field less exposed to the storms and 



