Report of the Board of Shell Fish Commissioners 157 



the mouth of Drum Point Creek, between the limits of the 

 oyster bars and the shore line, to the head of the river ; from 

 the head of the river above the limits of the oyster bars to the 

 mouth of Geanquakin Creek. While much of this barren bot- 

 tom is not adapted for oyster culture, about 300 acres can prob- 

 ably be made productive. 



Nanticoke Sound. 



Nanticoke Sound is the name used in this report to designate 

 the waters below the mouth of the Nanticoke Kiver which are 

 included between the line 47 fixing the northeastern limit of the 

 area set aside for scraping operations in Tangier Sound and a 

 line connecting Nanticoke Point, in Wicomico County, with a 

 point in Somerset County just below the mouth of Dames Quar- 

 ter Creek. 



The 1,046 acres of natural oyster ground located in the part 

 of Nanticoke Sound belonging to Somerset County has, for 

 economy and convenience in marking with buoys, been included 

 within the limits of three natural bars. 



The amount of soft barren bottom which might have been 

 opened for leasing for oyster culture by buoying separately the 

 small bars and lumps of which the present Evans bar is com- 

 posed is not of sufficient area or value to warrant the cost of 

 maintaining the buoys which would have been required. 



The dotted portions on Charts 4a and 4b, reproduced on 

 pages 158 and 159, give the approximate location and extent of 

 the natural oyster grounds of this and the section next to be 

 described, as they were found to exist in 1878 and in 1907. No 

 depletion seems to have taken place in Halls 48 bar during this 

 interval. On the other hand, it has improved both in condition 

 and extent. Above Halls bar, however, a very large part of the 

 area shown on Winslow's Chart as covered with oysters is 

 now barren. The total area of the bottom in Nanticoke Sound 



47This line runs between the point forming the southwestern extrem- 

 ity of Clay Island, in Dorchester County, and a point about mid-way 

 between Haines Point and Halls Point on the Somerset County shore. 



^Hall's bar of this report includes the bars described in Winslow's 

 Report as Horseys and Tylers bars. Rock Creek and Evans bars are a 

 small part of Winslow's Middleground and Clump Point beds. 



