﻿OYSTER 
  BOTTOMS 
  OF 
  LAVACA 
  BAY, 
  TEX. 
  9 
  

  

  would 
  jdeld. 
  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 
  hes 
  in 
  its 
  relative 
  avail- 
  

   abihty 
  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 
  

   wiU 
  soon 
  become 
  engulfed. 
  

  

  In 
  previous 
  surveys 
  the 
  method 
  ordmarily 
  used 
  by 
  oystermen 
  has 
  

   been 
  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 
  

   culture. 
  In 
  many 
  cases 
  different 
  observers 
  will 
  not 
  agree 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  

   proper 
  term 
  by 
  which 
  to 
  describe 
  the 
  bottom 
  so 
  tested, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  there- 
  

   fore 
  difficult 
  to 
  convey 
  to 
  another 
  the 
  meaning 
  desired. 
  To 
  overcome 
  

   this 
  difficulty 
  an 
  instrument 
  « 
  has 
  been 
  devised 
  which 
  gives 
  these 
  data 
  

   mechanically, 
  by 
  measuring 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  inches 
  the 
  bottom 
  is 
  

   penetrated 
  by 
  a 
  plunger 
  of 
  a 
  constant 
  weight 
  and 
  size 
  faUing 
  through 
  

   a 
  uniform 
  distance. 
  The 
  instrument 
  is 
  used 
  from 
  an 
  anchored 
  boat, 
  

   from 
  6 
  to 
  10 
  tests 
  being 
  made 
  at 
  each 
  station. 
  Any 
  readings 
  which 
  

   are 
  markedly 
  higher 
  or 
  lower 
  than 
  the 
  others 
  are 
  discarded 
  on 
  the 
  

   assumption 
  that 
  the 
  plunger 
  has 
  fallen 
  into 
  a 
  crab 
  hole 
  or 
  other 
  

   depression, 
  or 
  that 
  it 
  has 
  encountered 
  a 
  shell 
  or 
  similar 
  accidental 
  

   obstruction. 
  The 
  average 
  of 
  the 
  remaining 
  depths 
  of 
  penetration, 
  

   as 
  indicated 
  on 
  the 
  scale 
  of 
  mches 
  inscribed 
  on 
  the 
  rod, 
  is 
  regarded 
  

   as 
  the 
  measure 
  of 
  the 
  consistency 
  of 
  the 
  bottom. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  designations 
  used 
  to 
  indicate 
  the 
  different 
  degrees 
  

   of 
  hardness, 
  as 
  shown 
  by 
  the 
  instrument, 
  are 
  arbitrary, 
  although 
  

   based 
  on 
  the 
  terms 
  used 
  by 
  the 
  oyster 
  growers: 
  

  

  Hard 
  Penetration 
  less 
  than 
  4 
  inches. 
  

  

  Stiff 
  Penetration 
  between 
  4 
  and 
  8 
  inches. 
  

  

  Soft 
  Penetration 
  between 
  8 
  and 
  13 
  inches. 
  

  

  Very 
  soft 
  Penetration 
  between 
  13 
  and 
  18 
  inches. 
  

  

  Ooze 
  Penetration 
  over 
  18 
  inches. 
  

  

  a 
  Illustrated 
  and 
  described 
  in 
  "Condition 
  and 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  natural 
  oyster 
  beds 
  and 
  barren 
  bottoms 
  

   of 
  Mississippi 
  Sound, 
  Alabama." 
  By 
  H. 
  F. 
  Moore, 
  Bureau 
  of 
  Fisheries 
  Document 
  no. 
  769. 
  

  

  9497°— 
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  14 
  

  

  