184 Report of the Board of Shell Fish Commissioners 



1. On June 27, 150 bushels of shells were scattered over a 

 lot of ground in Tangier Sound containing .25 acre. The bot- 

 tom is composed of hard dark-colored sand and is covered by 

 fourteen feet of water. 



2. On the same date a similar quantity of shells was scat- 

 tered over a lot of the same size and with the same kind of bot- 

 tom in the Bay about two miles southwest of Kedge Straits. 

 The water over this lot is eighteen feet in depth. 



3. On July 8, the third lot situated off Annapolis, between 

 Hackett Point and Tolley Point bars on soft muddy bottom 

 in water twenty feet in depth, was planted with 150 bushels of 

 shells. It contains a little less than .25 acre. 



4. The fourth planting was made on the same date as No. 3 

 on .25 acre of muddy bottom situated in water eighteen feet 

 deep between Tolley Point. Under the Gums and Thomas Point, 

 North, bars, 150 bushels of shells being again used. 



The first planting was made on a lot situated on a depleted 

 oyster ground over which the water does not flow swiftly, but 

 the remaining three lots are situated on barren bottoms over 

 which swift currents are developed with every tide. 



On September 27, examinations- were made of the shells 

 planted on lots Nos. 1 and 2. Two attempts were made to ex- 

 amine the shells on lots No. 3 and 4 before this report went to 

 press, but each time rough weather made examinations impos- 

 sible. 



Shells were tonged from three places on lot No. 1 and three 

 pecks were examined shell by shell with the result that three 

 young oysters only were found. The shells had not sanded, 

 but were well above the surface of the bottom. Numerous cal- 

 careous worm tubes and patches of encrusting red sponge had 

 become attached, but not in sufficient quantities to have pre- 

 vented the attachment of young oysiers had such been present. 



Of the 190 shells (.33 bushel, standard measure,) collected 

 from three places on lot No. 2, 145 shells (.25 bushel) had from 

 one to ten young oysters per shell attached, 45 shells being 

 without spat. On the 145 shells 386 young oysters, ranging in 

 length from 1-16 inch to l 1 /^ inches, were counted, or 2.6 spat 

 per shell. According to the result of this examination, the 



