The North Carolina Field 231 



fications, and in these there are natural oyster beds. 

 Though the oysters are generally of poor quality, several 

 canneries have been established in the state to supply a 

 local market. The possible production of these bays un- 

 der culture methods merits attention, but reference to it 

 will be omitted from this account, only the larger and 

 more promising field in North Carolina being considered. 



This latter in some respects is strikingly different from 

 the fields farther north on the Atlantic coast. It also 

 differs from the oyster areas of the Gulf of Mexico, and 

 in most ways, perhaps, to its disadvantage. It is with- 

 out doubt the poorest of the large Atlantic oyster 

 grounds, and yet it is valuable, and under culture meth- 

 ods fostered by wise legislation, may in the future be- 

 come much more so. 



The map will show much irregularity in the western 

 shore-line of North Carolina's oyster area. Many bays, 

 or, as they are called locally, rivers or creeks, lead into 

 broader waters from surrounding marshes. In these 

 rivers are usually many oysters, and their peculiar posi- 

 tion or distribution would excite the interest of a north- 

 ern oysterman ; for they are found only along the river 

 banks, and are very generally absent from the bottoms. 

 Not only is this true, but the majority of them lie within 

 the limits of the high and low tide lines, and as a conse- 

 quence are exposed to the air for long periods each day. 

 The average vertical distance between tide levels over 

 this field is about three feet. 



When the bank of a river or creek rises abruptly from 

 the low tide mark, a narrow line of oysters, all exposed 

 at low tide, will be found along its surface. But often 

 the banks are so low that the rising water flows over 

 them and covers an extensive area on each side, thus 



