OYSTER BOTTOMS IN VICINITY OF APALACHICOLA, FLA. a) 
The entire bar, with the exception of two small tracts totaling 
7 acres and a mud hole of about 5 acres northwest of the light, sup- 
ports dense growth of oysters. For the most part, the oysters occur 
in large, irregular clusters, and are inclined to be flattish and, at 
times, of the scissor-bill type. The quality varies from poor to fair, 
and during the examination they were fresh and rather watery. It 
appears that the bed is not worked enough to break up the clusters 
to obtain the best results. The fishery is pursued chiefly for steam 
stock. The daily yield is from 15 to 25 tubs for two men; price, 
about 35 cents per tub. Mussels and barnacles were not plentiful, 
but on some of the stations an abundance of alg occurred on the 
clusters. One rather large drill was found, but no injured oysters 
having drill holes were observed. 
9. PORTER BAR. 
This fine bed, slightly more than 1 mile north of Platform Bar, 
consists of a tonguelike projection, which, from its origin of a skirting 
of oysters along the main shore, reaches in a southeasterly direction 
for a distance of 2} miles. It is about 320 yards wide and has an 
area of 260 acres. The depth.of water is from 2 to 6 feet, while the 
adjoining grounds are from 2 to 7 feet deeper. The bed is, therefore, ° 
well elevated, and, as the tide ebbs and flows almost at right angles 
to its length, the oysters are generally kept clean and are furnished 
with an abundance of food material. The bar has a firm foundation 
and for the most part is sand or gravel, although some of our stations 
revealed considerable mud. The following tables indicate its area 
and distribution of oyster growth: 
OystER GROWTH ON PorTER Bar. 
Oysters per acre. Esti- 
mated 
Character of oyster growth. Area, content 
Under 3 | Over3 Total 
of 
inches. | inches. oysters. 
Acres. | Bushels. | Bushels. | Bushels. | Bushels. 
114 94 248 342 
Densoseee ee ee ssaeke ie ese: EL ee PS ecefus 38, 988 
Seatvaniie nese see neers ares a ted ance ore 9 53 114 167 1, 503 
Venyiscattoning: . #44135. 959... ¢accie ee Lees 25 12 47 59 1,475 
Depleted’ sasee caster sa. tere eennncm i resacser tesa cen cc 112 27 25 52 5, 824 
