44 OYSTER BOTTOMS IN MATAGORDA BAY. 



administration of the culling laws, the potential annual product of 

 all the natural beds above Half Moon Reef can not be expected 

 to exceed for a term of years about 200,000 barrels of marketable 

 oysters. For a time the catch may be in excess of this and there 

 will be occasional years of exceptional plenty, but, on the other hand, 

 the same beds must be expected to have lean years or even periods 

 of barrenness, such as have in the past periodically visited Half 

 Moon Reef and some of its neighbors; or there may be physical 

 disasters, such as overwhelmed Mad Island Reef about 1896. The 

 more closety the potential limit of production is approached, the 

 greater is the likelihood of disaster should the conditions at any 

 time become unfavorable. 



Owing to the complexity and fortuitous character of the factors 

 that have to be taken into consideration, the foregoing estimates 

 and the conclusions drawn from them must of course be regarded 

 not as absolute but as mere approximations. The correctness of 

 the general trend of their testimony, however, can not be disputed, 

 and it is the unmistakable conclusion that if the oyster industry 

 of Matagorda Bay is to have its legitimate development it must be 

 based on a supply of raw material less precarious and less subject 

 to promiscuous demand than that from the natural beds. If others 

 hesitate to embark in the industry, the dealers and packers them- 

 selves must, for their own protection, blaze the way and if neces- 

 sary plant areas sufficient to insure the future of their own business. 

 Resort to oyster culture is inevitable, and it is proper, therefore, 

 to discuss the chief local, physical, and biological considerations 

 that apply and the degree to which these conditions are filled in 

 Matagorda Bay. 



OYSTER LAWS AND PUBLIC SENTIMENT. 

 SYNOPSIS OF EXISTING LAWS. 



Under the legislation in force July 1, 1905, the enforcement of the 

 oyster law T s of Texas is intrusted to the fish and oyster commis- 

 sioner, who is assisted by a number of deputies, the same persons 

 being the agents of the state in the execution of laws relating to the 

 other public fisheries. A special tax of 2 cents per barrel is levied 

 (Revised Statutes, ch. 4, title 48, art. 2514) on all oysters taken 

 from the waters of the state, whether from natural reefs or private 

 beds, "Provided, That oysters taken from any waters for bedding 

 purposes shall not be subject to this tax until again taken up for 

 sale or shipment." 



Each boat engaged in oystering for market is required (art. 2518k) 

 to procure from the commissioner a license of prescribed form, pay- 

 ing a fee of $1 for each person employed thereon. Persons engaged 



