42 Report of the Board of Shell Fish Commissioners. 



an ideal oyster bottom, and it supports a practically continuous 

 growth of oysters. The depths of water over this part of the bar 

 vary from 8 feet to 25 feet. The bottoms upon which the northern 

 half of the bar is situated are mostly soft or sticky and the oysters 

 grow in lumps and patches. The depth of water over the inshore 

 limits of this part of the bar averages about 13 feet except at the 

 extreme northern end where the depth is about 5 feet and the bot- 

 tom hard and stony. The depths over the outer limits vary from 

 28 feet to 45 feet. 



The seven bars which remain, lie within the area generally known 

 as the Lumps, and a considerable portion of their bottoms is soft 

 and unproductive. Each bar, Mitchell's Bluff Buoy bar excepted, 

 contains one or more hard, sandy shoals, however, on which a con- 

 tinuous growth of oysters or a good stock of cultch is found. It is 

 probable that oysters became established first on these shoals and 

 that they have been spread to the adjacent sticky and soft bottoms 

 as a result of the work of dredgers. 



Hodges and Tolchestcr Lump bars are found on the sloping, 

 sandy beach along the Kent County shore, and their soft, lumpy 

 bottoms are confined to their off-shore borders, which extend to the 

 edge of the deep mid-bay channel. The in-shore borders of both 

 bars are situated on very hard bottoms on which stones are abund- 

 ant at places. Oysters begin to be found at depths of 5 to 8 feet 

 on each bar and were taken on each at depths of 40 to 50 feet. 

 About three-fourths of the area included within the limits of 

 Hodge's bar and one-half that of Tolchestcr Lump, is productive. 



Fully one-half of Gales Lamp bar is situated on an extensive sandy 

 shoal over which the depth of water varies from 7 to 12 feet. The 

 bottom on the greater part of the remaining area is composed of 

 sticky, sandy mud on which oysters or cultch are practically con- 

 tinuous. The bar as charted takes in a portion of the productive 

 bottoms generally known as the "Tea Tables" and a considerable 

 area of the barren bottom between Gales Lump and the lower part 

 of the Tea Tables. It also contains a small amount of soft, muddy 

 bottom on the east where it extends to the mid-bay channel. The 

 depths of water over the parts of the bar beyond the hard, sandy 

 shoal vary from 12 to 21 feet. About three-fourths of the bar as. 

 charted is productive. 



