OYSTER BOTTOMS IN VICINITY OF APALACHICOLA, FLA. 1] 
the region treated in this report, it is unnecessarily refined and 
laborious to make such allowance for depth, and it is nearly as accu- 
rate and satisfactory to rate the bottoms in accordance with an arbi- 
trary standard. 
In this report the classification of the relative productiveness of 
the various beds and parts of beds, as exhibited on the chart and dis- 
cussed in the text, is as follows: 
Dense prawt tt 2... .LTOLLGTS_ Bearing over 150 bushels per acre. 
Scattering growth..........-...--.--- Bearing between 75 and 150 bushels per acre. 
Very scattering growth............--- Bearing between 25 and 75 bushels per acre. 
Depleted, bottomy 2.2.25. - Sse eae- ase 22 Bearing less than 25 bushels per acre. 
This classification refers solely to oysters of a size assumed to be 
large enough for the market, in this case to those 3 inches or more in 
length. As the classification takes no account of the smaller oysters, 
certain areas bearing a heavy growth of young may be described and 
shown on the charts as depleted, owing to the paucity of mature oys- 
ters. While the charts can not indicate this, the descriptions of the 
beds show it in all cases, The charts show in general terms the 
character of the beds in respect to the product available for market, 
so far as mere size of the oysters is concerned, at the time of the 
survey. If the oysters were of ordinarily good condition and shape, 
the areas indicated as bearing dense and scattering growth would 
yield a product sufficient to make tonging remunerative under the 
economic conditions existing. Where the market oysters are rated 
as very scattering, the growth is insufficient to support a fishery at 
the low price which the product would yield. The depleted bottom 
is that on which the product of market oysters, at the time of the 
survey, was very small, and is not necessarily formerly productive 
bottom now denuded, as might be supposed from a strict definition 
of the descriptive term employed. On the contrary, it may be 
formerly barren bottom now coming into production. 
The barren bottom, which is that totally devoid of oysters, and in 
most cases of shells, vastly exceeds the oyster bottom in extent. 
Its interest in connection with the survey lies in its relative avail- 
ability for oyster culture; that is, whether or not its general character 
is such as to enable it to become productive if proper measures to 
that end be taken. The most important consideration is, usually, 
the character and degree of stability of its constituent materials. 
If the bottom be too soft, the shells and oysters deposited thereon 
will soon become engulfed. 
In the earlier surveys the method ordinarily used by oystermen 
was employed, the consistency of the bottom being determined by 
probing with a pole. By noting the resistance which the bottom 
imposes to the penetration of the probe, the observer forms an opinion 
of its relative hardness and of its suitability in that respect for oyster 
