Report of the Board of Shell Fish Commissioners 173 



ards Point between the mouths of Big Annemessex and Mano- 

 kin Elvers; south and west of Little Deals Island and west of 

 Deals Island. 



In Tangier Sound there are not less than 12,800 acres of 

 bottom well suited to oyster culture not occupied by either 

 natural oyster bars or crabbing grounds. This bottom in- 

 cludes about 5,200 acres pointed out for survey and examina- 

 tion by the local assistant, but which upon examination were 

 found not sufficiently productive to be classed as natural oyster 

 bars and about 7,600 acres of bottom not pointed out by v the 

 local assistant for survey and examination but which was in- 

 cluded by Lieutenant Winslow in 1878 with the oyster produc- 

 ing areas of the Sound. The latter bottoms although productive 

 in 1878 have long since ceased to yield oysters. 



Practically all of these barren bottoms are situated south 

 of a line drawn from the southern extremity of South Marsh 

 to the southern extremity of Little Deals Island, no depletion 

 having taken place in the oyster grounds north of said line. 



In addition to the above mentioned exhausted oyster bottoms 

 there are hundreds of acres of ground in the Sound which have 

 never produced oysters so far as is known, but which could by 

 proper treatment be made productive. 



Chesapeake Bay, 



The part of the Chesapeake Bay adjacent to Somerset County 

 which has been surveyed and which will be opened for lease 

 with said county, lies west of Smiths Island and Kedge Straits. 

 It is limited on the south by the Mary land- Virginia State line ; 

 on the west by a line connecting Smiths Point, on the western 

 shore just below the mouth of the Potomac Eiver, with spar 

 buoy "16," situated near the middle of the Bay about two 

 miles north of a line connecting Holland Bar Light with Point 

 Lookout Light; on the north by a line connecting spar buoy 

 "16" with Holland Bar Light, and connecting Holland Bar 

 Light with the nearest point of the Somerset County boundary 

 line. 



The oyster grounds pointed out by the local assistant in this 

 vast area were but five in number. Their survey was conducted 



