132 Report of the Board of Shell Fish Commissioners 



six-foot curve near the shore and the eighteen-foot curve near 

 the main channel. Were it not for the muddy channels of 'the 

 numerous creeks, tributary to the river, the oyster-producing 

 area would form a continuous belt on both sides of the main 

 channel. No observations of the rate of flow of currents were 

 made, but from the fact that all of the oyster grounds which are 

 well covered with clean shells received a good catch of spat dur- 

 ing the seasons of 1905-1906 and 1906-1907, a rapid movement 

 of the water may be inferred. The density of the water during 

 July was 1.0036-1.0048, but it gradually increased to 1.011 in 

 December. During the following March the density had fallen 

 to 1.0096, the spring rains having begun to affect it. 



Ten parcels of ground located in the oyster-producing area, 

 varying in size from two to seventeen acres, aggregating an 

 area of seventy-five acres, were found in a condition too de- 

 pleted of both oysters and shells to be charted and buoyed as 

 natural bars or parts of natural bars. In addition to these 

 exhausted oyster bottoms, there are probably about one hun- 

 dred acres of ground in Severn River which may be made to 

 produce oysters by first planting shells to harden the bottom 

 and then planting seed oysters. 



South River. 

 (Chart of Natural Oyster Bars, No. 3.) 



In area, extent and natural features the oyster-producing 

 section of South River is very similar to that of Severn, 

 although about two miles less in length. Seven tributaries 

 enter the river from the south and nine from the north, the 

 channels of which are mainly responsible for the division of itlie 

 oyster-producing belts into eighteen natural bars, eight situated 

 south of the main channel and nine north of the same. One 

 large natural bar, located in the mouth of the river where the 

 channel becomes less definitely defined, extends from shore to 

 shore. Small parts of two other large bars extend across the 

 line, from Thomas Point to Sanders Point, marking the 

 boundary of the mouth of the river, but for convenience in de- 

 scription these bars are considered to be in the Bay. The total 



