34 OYSTER BOTTOMS IN VICINITY OF APALACHICOLA, FLA. 
are but the remains of a long, narrow reef which had at that time 
scattering growths of oysters. It measured then about 3 miles in 
length by one-fourth mile in width. The third lump is compara- 
tively new, having been built up on a hard sand bottom within recent 
years. 
The oysters of these lumps are largely clusters of the raccoon or 
scissor-bill type and are covered with hundreds of small mussels and 
small barnacles. Some of the oysters are of good shape, but they are 
inclined to be flattish and generally of poor quality and flavor. The 
central part of the largest lump has a good, firm foundation, which 
would produce a fair marketable product if the clusters were broken 
up and culled; otherwise it does not appear to yield oysters of mer- 
chantable quality. This part of the bay is evidently filling in with 
mud and silt and is, therefore, hardly worth the labor necessary to 
obtain good oysters. 
One Florida tub of mostly clustered and unculled oysters from these 
lumps gave the following results: Small oysters, 67; counts, 152; 
large, 180; dead, 13; shells, 30; total, 442. 
The following tables furnish further data of a general character: 
OysTER GROWTH ON Hast Lumps. 
Oysters per acre. Esti- 
at EMP i ee 
Character of oyster growth. Area. content 
Under 3 | Over3 Total of 
inches. | inches. * | oysters. 
Acres. | Bushels. | Bushels. | Bushels. | Bushels. 
555 9 
Denses.iecss bees osscees. cere. Sete ose 4 168 102 453 3, 240 
Sestterinig. oe oe fou. etek ME cee ee oces ln cebeenenae 4 18 77 95 380 
Merny Scattering ap 42. ee ae a renee eerant 24 44 54 98 2,352 
DS f0) teiifet0 lacs SE ee als Se eres es es a ee ee 28 fo oa - 2 sths eo e Recher etter eee ee 
A) 1k Segal goa Se eats inert ss 4 epaity 5.7, Wi RR HRN RE ARIE a 95, 972 
DetTarws or EXAMINATION or East Lumps. 
Oysters caught per Estimated quantity 
Date dt | Depth:| Area! square yard. Shells oysters per acre. 
a eine of Cove ee ea pers | 2 Ue aa a ee Cueractenon 
tion. | 4 ation. | wateral\ ered: sure aw oyster growth. 
Spat.|Culls.| Counts.) Y°™°- | Seed. | 5 a ~ | Total. 
1915. Feet. |Sq.yds. Bush. | Bush. | Bush. 
544....| Feb. 18 7.0 2. 04 0} 11.8 13.2 2 105 351. 456 | Dense. 
547 ....] Feb. 22 8.0 2. 04 0] 8&8 19.6 6 78 521 599 Do. 
O48 2555 | es Ole ce 8.0 2. 04 0/ 88 18.1 4 78 481 559 Do. 
O49) | eedoscss2 8.0 2. 04 0| 2.9 9.8 4 26 261 287 Do, 
560/22 | idore: 8.0 2. 04 0O| 4.4 23.5 6 39 625 664 Do 
737....| Mar. 9 7.0 2. 04 0 | 16.7 25.0 7 148 665 813 Do 
TpeliNsttidas. 5 7.0 2.04 0 | 16.2 17.6 3 144 468 612 Do. 
ABO P32 | 2 cdOLeces 7.0 2. 04 0 | 15.7 11.8 2 139 314 453 Do. 
740 .. sedOseeee 7.0 2. 04 0; 7.3 10.3 3 65 274 339 Do. 
Geline SOO neees 7.5 2. 04 0} 5.4 12.2 3 48 324 372 Do, 
CE 7 eaeS Pee) doen 8.0 2.04 0; 9.8 13.2 2 &7 351 438 Do. 
(Ce SR See dozclee 1.5 2.04 0| 9.8 5.9 1 87 157 244 Do, 
(aa lee. do..... 7.0 2. 04 0| 12.2 24.0 0 108 639 747 Do. 
MAD ec alisas donee 7.0 2.04 0! 6.9 7.8 0 61 207 268 Do. 
