64 Report of the Board of Shell Fish Commissioners. 



third of a mile. Above this point its width varies from one-fourth 

 to one-eighth mile. 



Almost the entire river shore is skirted by very hard, sandy bot- 

 toms, and at no place were oysters found to grow at the low-water 

 mark and usually not nearer to the shore than the six-foot depth 

 curve. The spread of oysters to the hard bottoms in shallow water 

 is probably prevented by the shifting of sand caused by breaking 

 waves. Beginning usually near the six-foot depth curve, the oyster 

 grounds, unless depleted or exhausted, were found to extend as con- 

 tinuous bars to the soft muddy bottom near the edge of the mid- 

 river channel. Many of the bars were found to extend for some 

 distance upon very soft bottoms, in which cases the bars were not 

 continuous, but the oysters were found in lumps. 



The area of the bottoms which were found in a condition such as 

 to justify its reservation to the Public Oyster Fishery of the State, 

 has been charted within the limits of 21 natural bars and aggre- 

 gates 4,723 acres. Between adjacent bars in several cases no natural 

 dividing line was apparent, and the lines by which they are divided 

 on the charts have been arbitrarily drawn. The names given to the 

 bars usually were those in use among oystermen to designate some 

 parts at least of the grounds so designated on the charts. In five 

 cases oyster bars which nominally belong on the Queen Anne's County 

 side of the river, extend more than halfway across and are cut by 

 the Queen Anne's-Kent County boundary line into two parts, namely, 

 Ferry Point, Pincy Point, Sheep, Hollyday and Northeast bars. 



The observations made during the survey upon some of the physi- 

 cal conditions known to affect the production of oysters have been 

 recorded in the report covering the Kent County section of the 

 river. 



The area of bottoms in Chester river suitable for the purposes 

 of oyster culture which will be opened for lease with Queen Anne's 

 County, is about 1,500 acres, of which 1,375 acres have been pro- 

 ductive within recent years. This bottom is well distributed along 

 the shore in parcels varying in size from 3 acres to 400 acres. 



CORSICA RIVER. 



(Shown on chart of natural oyster bars No. 30.) 



In Corsica river, productive oyster grounds were not found above 

 the mouth of Emory's creek, and this seems 10 be the limit beyond 



