62 FISHERIES OF THE COASTAL WATERS OF FLORIDA. 



being the St. Mark Bars. The oysters from these bars are very large, 

 and daring the winter of 1895-96 a number of lots, when shucked, 

 yielded about 1^ gallons of meats to the bushel. 



In 1895 and 1890, the United States Fish Commission steamer Fish 

 HawJc made a survey of the oyster-grounds in the vicinity of Apalachi- 

 cola. The report of the investigations will appear in the United States 

 Fish Commission Report for 189G. 



While natural agencies have undoubtedly done some injury to the 

 oyster-grounds, excessive tonging without any efforts to replenish the 

 beds has been a potent factor in the decrease. It has been the practice 

 of many of the oystermen to move out into deep water to cull their 

 catch; in this way all the spat and small oysters adhering to the old 

 shells are destroyed, by being covered with mud, and the beds are 

 further damaged by the removal of the materials to which new spat 

 may adhere. This appears to have been done in violation of law, as 

 there is a statute prohibiting the culling of oysters anywhere except 

 over the bed from which the oysters were taken. 



While some of the fishermen of this section say there has been no 

 decrease in the oyster supply, the majority of those interested think 

 differently, and the investigations of the Commission substantiate 

 the latter view. The quantity of oysters taken in Franklin County in 

 1895 was only 27 per cent that in 1890. This decrease was in part due 

 to a reduction in the extent of the canning business, which consumes a 

 large quantity of oysters. There were two canneries in operation in 

 1890 and only one in 1895, but one of the main reasons for shutting 

 down one of the canneries was the fact that the supply was not suffi- 

 cient to keep both canneries running on full time. The manager of the 

 cannery now in operation states that no difficulty is experienced in 

 getting enough oysters for his purposes, but that he is compelled to use 

 a quality that is inferior to that previously utilized, owing to the deple- 

 tion of the best grounds. 



Ko attempts have been made to cultivate oysters in this county, but 

 the conditions are very favorable for oyster planting, and the Commis- 

 sion's investigations have shown a large area suitable for this purpose. 



In 1895 the oyster industry of Apalachicola and Carrabelle gave 

 employment to 168 persons; of these, 128 were engaged in tonging 

 and 40 in the canning business or in other capacities on shore. The 

 vessels and boats used numbered ~>(} and were valued at $8,935. The 

 apparatus with which the oysters were taken (93 pairs of tongs) was 

 valued at $635. The quantity of oysters taken was 60,389 bushels, for 

 which the oystermen received $14,101, an average price of 23 cents a 

 bushel. In 1890 the oyster output of this county was 218,326 bushels, 

 having a value of $36,971 — an average of 17 cents a bushel. 



The spont/e industry. — The sponge rishery of Apalachicola is engaged 

 in by a small tieet of vessels and decked boats, with an average size of 

 less than 6 tons. Only 7 of the fleet in 1895 were large enough to take 



