THE OYSTER INDUSTRY OF NEW JERSEY. 495 



III.— THE NEW JERSEY SIDE OF DELAWARE BAY (MAURICE 

 RIVER COVE). 



TIte oyster-grounds. — That pair of Delaware Bay subject to the juris- 

 diction of New Jersey is the State's most extensive and most produc- 

 tive oyster region and is generally designated as Maurice River Cove. 

 Originally Maurice Kiver Cove Mas considered to embrace the waters 

 at the mouth of Maurice River, lying inside of East Point on the south 

 and Egg Island Point on the north, and comprised the greater part of 

 the area which, in the early history of the oyster industry in this section, 

 was used for planting- purposes. At an early period, however, the 

 name "Maurice River Cove" was applied not only to the cove proper, 

 but also to the adjacent waters of the bay, and has become, in com- 

 mon usage, a general term to designate the waters of Delaware Bay 

 between Egg- Island Point and Cape May Point. The oyster-planting 

 territory was also extended, reaching farther south, and off shore. 

 The inshore grounds, within the first-named limits, were practically 

 abandoned, being- considered to be worn out or exhausted, and new 

 areas of bottom lying in deeper water were appropriated. At the pres- 

 ent time the region Avhich includes the oyster-planting grounds may be 

 approximately bounded as follows: Beginning at Egg Island light- 

 house and running direct toward Cross Ledge light-house about 2h 

 miles, thence SSE. i E. about 9^ miles, thence easterly by an irregular 

 course (excluding Dead Man's Shoal) to the cape shore near the north 

 end of Fishing Creek Shoal, thence following the line of tlie shore at a 

 distance therefrom varying from ^ to 1^ miles and sweeping several 

 miles seaward off the month of Maurice River to the place of beginning, 

 and containing about G8 scpmre nautical miles, or 57,(>o4 acres. Of this 

 area probably not more than onc-tiftli is under cultivation. The depth 

 of water on the cultivated beds varies from about 5 to 24 feet and the 

 extreme distance from land is about 10 miles. 



The beds are located in various portions of the above-described ter- 

 ritory wherever the conditions are thought to be most fiivorable for 

 oyster-cultivation. If a giound proves unsuccessful it is abandoned 

 and a new one is selected. In this way the greater part of the entire 

 space has been planted at one time or anotliei-. It not unfrequently 

 happens that a ground which has yielded unsatisfactory results and 

 has therefore been vacated by one planter, is taken up the next year 

 by another and the oysters do well. Experiences of this kind have 

 given ]>revalence to the idea among the oystermen that the constant 

 use of the same ground either exhausts the food supply or sui)erin- 

 duces an unfavorable condition of bottom, which requires a period of 

 rest to correct. Tlie general character of the bottom in the lower part 

 of thet;ove toward Cape May is mud, while that of the upper part, in 

 the vicinity of Egg Island, is sand. In many localities the sand is 

 shifting and renders the bottom unsuitable for oyster-planting, and 

 in some instances entirely useless. - 



