36 OYSTER BOTTOMS OF MISSISSIPPI EAST OF BILOXI. 



proportion than in any other Gulf State excepting Texas. In Loui- 

 siana, in the same year, 44 per cent of the oysters produced were 

 grown on bottom rented from the State, and the yield from this source 

 alone was three times the quantity, and over four times the value, 

 of the entire product of Mississippi. 



Most of the planting by the State was west of the region covered 

 by the survey, but large quantities of shells and oysters have been 

 deposited on Scranton Reef and the Biloxi Bay beds, the condition 

 of which was developed during the present investigation, and is pre- 

 sented in some detail in the preceding part of this report. It is the 

 opinion of the author that the survey developed the almost complete 

 futility of the State's policy so far as the region east of Biloxi is con- 

 cerned. Pascagoula or Scranton Reef, and West Pascagoula Reef 

 were practically wortliless as market oyster producers during the win- 

 ter and spring of 1910-11. During a considerable period of observa- 

 tion no boats, excepting one or two small skiffs, were seen on the 

 former, and but one schooner on the latter. The oysters were badly 

 clustered, ill shaped, and poor in every way. During the calendar 

 year 1911 about 28,000 bushels of oysters were taken by smaU boats 

 from the vicinity of Pascagoula. Some of these came from the Pasca- 

 goula River, where they are of good quality, and the remainder are 

 reported to have come from the adjacent reefs. 



In Biloxi Bay the conditions are somewhat better, but still poor. 

 Deer Island bed produces fairly good oysters, but on aU of the other 

 beds the stock was rough, clustered and generally inferior, although 

 the presence of a number of tongers on the large bed below the railroad 

 bridge and on the east bed above the bridge indicates that it finds 

 some market. 



The laws of Mississippi do not permit the lease of barren bottoms 

 for oyster culture, but in its report for 1911 the Board of Oyster 

 Commissioners recommended '* that they be given the right by law to 

 lease to private individuals, firms, and corporations, citizens of the 

 State, for a term of years to be fixed by the legislature, barren bot- 

 toms suitable for planting oysters, on such terms and at such prices 

 as the legislature may fix." With this recommendation the author 

 is in hearty accord, but he believes that the further suggestions that 

 the extent of the leaseholds be limited to 100 acres for each person, 

 firm, and corporation, and that the annual rental be fixed at $1 per 

 acre are not sufficiently Hberal. Although this survey indicates that 

 in the region covered upwards of 23,000 acres of the bottom are pre- 

 sumptively suitable for oyster culture, it should be remembered that 

 until practical test is actually made there is no conclusive evidence 

 that they are suited for the purpose. For this reason the first plant- 

 ings must be in the nature of experiments with the possibility of 

 failure. In view of this, and to induce the undertaking, the rental 



