The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1903-04-25
MISSISSIPPI OYSTER
COMMISSION AT BILOXI
riet Monday to Discuss Best plan for
Expending $s,ooo.oo State Appro-
priation-The Plan.
Fnom Monday,a pllorl Hernla.

from mondays Biloxi Herald.
The members of the Mississip-
pl oyster commission met here
Monday to discuss the matter of
expending the $4,000 State appro-
prlation for the extending Of the
oyster reefs and propagation Of
oysters.
The proprietors of the various
canning establishments in this CITY
We're invited to address the COM
mission and five of them advised
as to the best manner OF expend-
ing the sum named.
Messrs. Joullian, Lopez, Du-
kate. Gorenfio and others spoke,
and while ON minor points there
were many shades of opinion. IL
was generally agreed that planting
oysters alone was failure, but
that the planting of shells, with
perhaps thousand barrels of
oysters to $4,000 barrels of shells
was The most successful proceed
ure. That muddy or sticky
eottoni was best, so that the mud
was not so thin and deep rs to al
low the sinking of the shells.
Various experiences of success
and failure were given in regard
to attempts to make beds where
none had been before.
Some thought the $4,000 could
not be better expended than by
putting dredges to work breaking
up reefs where the oysters were
too thick and scattering them, be-
lievlng this manner of work would
result in trehling the number of
marketable bivalves and enor-
mously increasing the size of the
reefs.
Mr.. Heidenheim thought an ex-
pert should be employed. Mr..
Lopez said no expert was needed,
but only good schooners to haul
the shells and an experience oys-
ternlan To select tho ground and
scatter the shells.
1t was generally considered that
an expert from Northern grounds
would not be qualified to give adj
vice'in Southern waters.
Mr.. Lopez advised that the
work be done in the winter when
the boats could be loaded with
shells direct from tho, wharves Of
the factories, and thus much ex-
pense saved. But Mr.. Chlnn,
chairman of the commission, stat
ed that the $4,000 must be spent
by September or it would have to
be turned back into the State
treasury to be otherwise used.
The factory men and other men
posted on oyster culture have Civ
Ell the commission the best advice
they could and it is hoped as a re-
suit that the State will in time
reap a reward from this small APP
preparation that will lead them to
very greatly increase 1t.
Mr.. Joullian thought school
of some kind should be establish
ed or department 1ded to some
industrial school already establish
ed that would teach the best
methods of increasing our field of
industry in this line, and the
thought is good one.
Mr.. Hcidenheim stated to the
commissioners that the govern
ment would furnish an expert
without cost except for board,
that it had done so for Alabama
and would do SO for Mississippi.
1t was finally resolved to con-
tract for 10000 barrels Of shells,
If they could be had at cent per
barrel, also to correspond with
the proper government official in
regard to an expert, and reports
in regard to these matters would
be given in at the next meeting.
Commissioners present were: j.
B. Chinn, Biloxi;. Duncan Minor,
Ocean Springs: 0. T. Cassidy,
Gulfport; +. l.. Pattenotte, Pass
Christian and Frank j. Ladner,
Bay st. Louis.