INTRODUCTION. 

 Publications. 



This report of the Board of Shell Fish Commissioners is intended 

 to embrace an account of all work carried on by the Commission 

 during the year ending December 31, 1909, and a statement of all 

 receipts and disbursements by the Commission during the fiscal year 

 ending September 30, 19 10. 



It contains descriptions of the methods and results of the surveys 

 and examinations of the oyster grounds of Baltimore, Kent and 

 Queen Anne's counties; a discussion of the problem of the applica- 

 tion of the Cull law to areas overstocked with small oysters, in the 

 light of the results of the survey of the upper section of the Bay, 

 generally known as "The Lumps ;" statements regarding the opening 

 of the bottoms available for lease for oyster culture in Worcester 

 and Calvert counties; lists of the names of citizens who have leased 

 lots from the State for the purposes of oyster culture, with state- 

 ments of the total area which has been leased under the Hainan 

 Oyster Culture Law, and of the number of lots on which rents are 

 in arrears ; and recommendations for such changes in the law as the 

 Shell Fish Commission believes to be essential to the success of 

 oyster culture in Maryland. 



In an appendix to the report, the text of the Haman Oyster Cul- 

 ture Law is reprinted, together with that of other Acts of the Gen- 

 eral Assembly pertaining to Oyster Culture or to the work of the 

 Board of Shell Fish Commissioners. The report also contains a 

 reprint of the statement of the receipts and disbursements of the 

 Commission during the fiscal year ending September 30, 1909. 



During the year 1909 Captain C. C. Yates, for the United States 

 Coast and Geodetic Survey, prepared and issued two publications,* 

 each consisting of a set of charts and a report. 



The first was filed in the office of the Commission at Annapolis 

 and with the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Worcester County, July 

 23, 1909, and contains all information necessary to make a perma- 



* These publications may be secured by applying to the Superintendent of the 

 United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, Washington, D. C. 



