1 86 THE OYSTER. 



gier Sound itself was more exhausted than the bay, 

 so there were undoubtedly more than .419 oysters to 

 the square yard at this date. Then, too, we have ex- 

 amined many beds where dredging is not permitted, 

 and other beds where the oysters are unmarketable, 

 and the high results which we obtained from these 

 beds are included in the average. If these were 

 omitted our total would show nearly 50 per cent of 

 exhaustion to the most valuable beds of the State. 

 The accompanying table, which is compiled entirely 

 from the facts which we observed by personal exami- 

 nation of all the beds, must speak for itself. It is the 

 most trustworthy evidence which we have been able 

 to obtain, and it certainly justifies the widespread be- 

 lief that the oyster property of the State is in imminent 

 danger of complete destruction unless radical changes 

 in the methods of managing the beds are made at once. 

 Great importance should not, however, be given to 

 the exact quantitative result which we obtained, as it 

 is based on only one examination. If the beds could 

 have been examined every year or two in the same 

 way, as we recommended at the time, the results of 

 successive examinations could have been compared 

 with considerable accuracy, and definite data could 

 thus have been obtained, but it is difficult to estimate 

 the exact value of a single examination. 



EXPLANATION OF TABLE NO. I. 



The first column gives the name of the bed ; the 

 second the number of dredgings which were made 



