14 



OYSTER BOTTOMS IN MATAGORDA BAY. 



The absence or presence, both relatively and actually, of oysters 

 under 3 inches long is entirely disregarded in estimating the 

 density of the beds, and it may therefore happen that an abundant 

 growth of young may be shown on the chart as a scattering or ver} 7 

 scattering area of adults. Such cases may be detected, however, by 

 consulting the text description of the bed in question, or by reference 

 to the following table, which shows the numbers per square yard 

 of oysters of each of three sizes as determined from actual observa- 

 tions and counts on the several beds. 



This table shows also the area in acres of the bed as platted on 

 the chart, the proportion of such area estimated to actually bear 

 oysters of the indicated density, and the estimated total contents 

 in barrels of marketable (3-inch) oysters on each bed. For the latter 

 only an approximate accuracy is claimed, the factors entering into 

 it being somewhat difficult to determine; the size, shape, and char- 

 acter of the oysters, their density, the shape and size of the clusters, 

 together with irregularities in distribution, have to be taken into con- 

 sideration. The estimates in all cases are believed to be conservative, 

 rather under than over the productiveness of the beds. For the pur- 

 pose of this report and specifically in the following table, a barrel of 

 oysters is considered to contain 2 bushels. 



Density of Oyster Growth on Charted Areas. 



Name of bed. 



Above Dressing Point 



Live Oak Bay 



Dressing Point Shoals 



Creek Patches 



Eleven-mile Lumps « 



East Point Bed , 



Middle Patches 



Idlebach Flats 



Grass Lump 



Boggy Lump 



Middle Lump 



Raymond Landing Shoals 



Boiler Bayou Reef 



Spring Bayou Reefs 



Dog Island Reef: 



North end 



East side 



Near Tiger Island '' . . . 



West side 



Sherman Bank a 



Snapper Bank a 



Forked Bavou Reef 



Shell Island Reef: 



East side 



West side 



Mad Island Reef: 



East side 



West side 



Hali Ifox.r'i Reef: 



North end c- 



East side -O 



South end f ■■■■■> 



West side" u 



Total . 



Observed number of oysters 

 per square yard. 



Over 3 3 inches Under 

 inches, to 1 inch. 1 inch. 



14 

 13 



15 



4 



50 



48 



135 



9 



55 

 182 

 163 

 90 

 67 

 84 



6 

 83 

 24 

 32 



10 

 63 

 2 



51 

 52 

 176 

 112 

 60 

 47 



33 



36 



9 



21 



20 



10 

 29 

 34 



117 

 41 

 51 



16 

 30 

 6 



Area in 

 acres. 



477 

 90 

 13 

 23 

 10 

 37 

 2 

 5 

 12 

 80 

 36 

 32 



113 



142 

 139 



538 



25 

 120 



23 

 70 



56 

 87 

 176 



it:. 



3,108 



Estimated 

 per cent 

 of area 

 actually 

 bearing 

 oysters. 



15 

 30 

 40 

 75 

 80 

 30 

 60 

 20 

 100 

 100 

 90 

 90 

 100 

 100 



80 

 100 

 30 

 30 



100 



100 

 60 



100 

 50 



100 

 75 

 100 



Estimated 

 contents 

 in barrels 

 of oysters 

 over 3 in. 

 long. 



5,000 



5, 250 



26, 000 



1,000 



4,700 



6,400 



12, 000 



1,000 



1,000 



11,000 



8, 500 



45, 000 



25, 000 



30, 000 



2,200 



145, 000 



13, 000 



18, 000 



1,500 



35, 000 

 7,500 



9,000 

 2,500 



1,000 



25, 000 



4,400 



445, 900 



« Not examiri ed in detail. 



' Partially fished out. 



Thoroughly fished out. 



