52 OYSTER BOTTOMS IN VICINITY OF APALACHICOLA, FLA. 
Detaits oF EXAMINATION OF Bayou Bar. 
Oysters caught per Estimated quantity 
sters per acre. 
Date of | Depth} Area Scuarp yard Shells aa 
Star | osamis of pov=oeaga |e Sere Wr Re NC fp | ee RV 
tion. | nation. | water. | ered. ere ald oyster growth. 
Spat.|Culls.| Counts! Y9*- | Seed. | 1-64. | Total. 
1915. Feet. | Sq. yds. Bush. | Bush. | Bush. 
1220: _.| Apr. 12 4.5 2. 80 Ou 9.5 4 16 289 305 | Dense. 
1293...| Apr. 14 4.0 3.05 0} 2.9 7.2 3 31 219 250 Do. 
AZ0S ees. “hole. 5- 4.5 2. 80 0 0 6.5 6 0 198 198 Do. 
1229...) Apr. 12 4.0 3.05 0 ai 3.3 4 7 100 107 | Scattering. 
1304...] Apr. 14 4.0 3.05 0 ATI 2.9 1 7 88 95 Do. 
T2O2 Fe eens On see 3.5 3.35 0 0 2.4 il 0 73 73 | Very scattering. 
That portion of the north shore of St. Vincent Island reaching from 
Big Bayou to St. Vincent Point, a distance of about 5 miles, has a firm 
bottom generally and usually clear and comparatively shallow water, 
with here and there scattering bunches of good oysters. When prac- 
ticable; these grounds and adjacent bars are fished by nipping or by 
wading. It was stated that the work is often pursued by day in a 
flatboat or light-draft vessel, the product then taken to near-by 
oyster boats and culled at night; and also that under favorable con- 
ditions two men can gather from 12 to 15 barrels of oysters per day 
by these methods. 
36. PATCHES OFF BIG BAYOU. 
A smallcircular patch of dense growth of oysters is situated about 
three-fourths mile north of Big Bayou. This patch contains about 3 
acres, the bottom is hard and fairly well raised above the neighboring 
grounds, and the depthis about 3 feet at mean low water. The oysters 
were good shaped, in small clusters, and were fat, fresh, and milky. 
An examination showed 10 bushels of seed and 228 bushels of . 
marketable product per acre. 
A small area about midway between the above patch and Big 
Bayou had a bottom composed of mud and dead shells; depth of 
water, about 4 feet. 
A lump of limited extent and bearing very scattering growth is 
located about one-half mile west of the above area and 200 yards 
offshore; depth of water, 3 feet. No examination was made on this 
lump, but its position is indicated on the chart. 
37. HALF MOON BAR. 
This bed of 122 acres lies off the mainland or northern shore of St. 
Vincent Sound and 1 mile northwest of Bayou Bar. Its length in 
an east and west direction is about 14 miles, and its greatest width is 
about 400 yards; depth of water, 2 to 34 feet. The bottom varies 
from hard to medium, the eastern portion is largely sand, and the 
remainder is mud and sand. Some stations showed a slight deposit 
of yellow mud on top. 
