﻿OYSTER 
  BOTTOMS 
  OP 
  LAVACA 
  BAY, 
  TEX. 
  

   KELLERS 
  BED. 
  

  

  17 
  

  

  Kellers 
  Bed 
  begins 
  at 
  the 
  shoal 
  water 
  off 
  Rhodes 
  Pomt 
  and 
  

   extends 
  southeastward 
  for 
  3 
  miles. 
  At 
  its 
  upper 
  end 
  it 
  is 
  haK 
  a 
  mile 
  

   in 
  width, 
  which 
  gradually 
  broadens 
  to 
  a 
  mile 
  near 
  the 
  center, 
  then 
  

   narrows 
  rather 
  suddenly 
  to 
  about 
  300 
  yards 
  for 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  its 
  length. 
  

  

  Disregarding 
  the 
  shallow 
  water 
  off 
  Rhodes 
  Point, 
  varying 
  from 
  

   1 
  foot 
  to 
  2^ 
  feet, 
  and 
  the 
  water 
  immediately 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  point, 
  

   ranging 
  from 
  3 
  to 
  3^ 
  feet, 
  the 
  average 
  depth 
  of 
  water 
  on 
  the 
  bed 
  

   approximates 
  6^ 
  feet. 
  

  

  The 
  bottom 
  is 
  composed 
  generally 
  of 
  hard 
  mud, 
  although 
  four 
  

   stations 
  made 
  at 
  points 
  along 
  the 
  eastern 
  and 
  southern 
  edges 
  re- 
  

   vealed 
  a 
  barren 
  bottom 
  of 
  stiff 
  mud 
  5 
  to 
  8 
  inches 
  deep, 
  and 
  at* 
  three 
  

   tonging 
  stations 
  the 
  bottom 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  ooze. 
  

  

  The 
  oystei-s 
  occur 
  in 
  large, 
  sharp-edged 
  clusters 
  and 
  are 
  generally 
  

   "snappers" 
  of 
  poor 
  quality, 
  although 
  at 
  some 
  stations 
  well 
  shaped 
  

   but 
  watery. 
  Oysters 
  were 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  southern 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  bed, 
  

   which 
  is 
  depleted, 
  the 
  bottom 
  being 
  hard 
  and 
  covered 
  with 
  scattering 
  

   dead 
  shells 
  on 
  which 
  were 
  but 
  few 
  spats. 
  The 
  bed 
  is 
  not 
  fished 
  much 
  

   except 
  at 
  the 
  southern 
  end, 
  where, 
  especially 
  during 
  the 
  past 
  two 
  or 
  

   three 
  years, 
  oysters 
  have 
  grown 
  on 
  shells 
  thrown 
  overboard 
  bv 
  boats 
  

   passing 
  from 
  Sand 
  Point 
  to 
  Kellers 
  Bay. 
  This 
  same 
  condition 
  

   applies 
  to 
  all 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  bay, 
  especially 
  the 
  lower 
  end. 
  The 
  general 
  

   conditions 
  on 
  the 
  bed 
  are 
  shown 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  tables: 
  

  

  Oyster 
  Growth 
  on 
  Kellers 
  Bed. 
  

  

  a 
  No 
  stations 
  were 
  made 
  on 
  the 
  shore 
  skirting 
  south 
  of 
  Rhodes 
  Point. 
  

  

  