136 Report of the Board of Shell Fish Commissioners 



which vary in size from 158 to 3,510 acres and which aggregate 

 an area of 15,992 acres. A nearly continuous belt of oyster- 

 producing ground is formed by these bars which extends from 

 a point just below the mouth of Magothy River to Holland 

 Point and from the six-foot curve* near the shore to, or near to, 

 the thirty-foot curve. Some of the bars lie in coves or behind 

 points- of lands where they are sheltered, while others extend 

 far out into the open Bay. The in-shore bars are covered -with 

 water varying in depth from six to about eighteen feet, but 

 those located in the open Bay usually extend into water having 

 a depth of thirty-five feet, 44 and in the case of Sandy Point, 

 North, bar, and Tolly Point bar, oysters were found to be 

 abundant on bottoms covered by water thirty-eight and forty 

 feet in depth, respectively. 



No general description of the bottom on which the oysters 

 grow in the Bay can be given. On some bars sandy bottoms 

 prevail, but large areas of sticky or soft mud, gravel, clay and 

 fullers earth are found. The bottoms located in very deep 

 water are, without exception, composed of very soft mud and 

 on such bottoms oysters grow in lumps. 



Observations on the velocity of currents were made in various 

 localities with results as shown in the table below. These 

 observations were made at a sufficient distance from shore to 

 get maximum velocities. The rate of flow gradually diminishes 

 as the shore is approached until very near -the bank, it becomes 

 too slow for measurement except opposite points of land. 



Sandy Point, North bar 28 mile per hour. 



Sandy Point, South bar 75 



Under The Gums bar 35 " " " 



Thomas Point, North bar 42 " " " 



Thomas Point, South bar 65 " " " 



Old Woman bar 48 " " 



Saunders bar 62 " " 



Lulus bar 92 " 



Three Sisters bar.. 92 



4*See page 50, footnote. 



