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  OYSTEE 
  BOTTOMS 
  OF 
  LAVACA 
  BAY, 
  TEX. 
  

   Oyster 
  Growth 
  on 
  Half 
  Moon 
  Reef. 
  

  

  Details 
  of 
  Examination 
  of 
  Half 
  Moon 
  Reef. 
  

  

  LONG 
  REEF. 
  

  

  Tliis 
  long, 
  narrow, 
  cresccnt-shapod 
  roof 
  of 
  64 
  acres 
  lies 
  a 
  few 
  hun- 
  

   dred 
  yards 
  southeast 
  of 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  Garcitas 
  Bay 
  and 
  has 
  a 
  length 
  

   of 
  1 
  mile, 
  with 
  an 
  average 
  width 
  of 
  about 
  150 
  yards. 
  It 
  is 
  practically 
  

   at 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  general 
  bottom, 
  excepting 
  at 
  the 
  western 
  extremity, 
  

   where 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  rise 
  of 
  about 
  6 
  inches. 
  The 
  depth 
  of 
  water 
  varies 
  

   fi-om 
  3^ 
  to 
  4 
  feet. 
  

  

  Along 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  reef 
  there 
  are 
  large 
  oysters 
  in 
  clusters 
  resem- 
  

   bling 
  thos(^ 
  on 
  Half 
  Moon 
  Reef, 
  while 
  on 
  top 
  there 
  are 
  small 
  ones. 
  

   Consul 
  era))le 
  fishing 
  is 
  done 
  here 
  for 
  seed, 
  wluch 
  are 
  worth 
  as 
  much 
  

   as 
  marketable 
  oysters. 
  Permits 
  are 
  obtained 
  to 
  take 
  whatever 
  is 
  on 
  

   the 
  bottom 
  without 
  the 
  payment 
  of 
  any 
  tax. 
  This 
  reef 
  was 
  first 
  

   fished 
  about 
  two 
  years 
  ago, 
  and, 
  with 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  Chicken 
  Reef, 
  

   this 
  is 
  true 
  for 
  the 
  upper 
  bay 
  generally. 
  One 
  man 
  can 
  take 
  seven 
  

   barrels 
  per 
  day. 
  

  

  A 
  small 
  ])atch 
  of 
  3 
  acres, 
  100 
  by 
  200 
  yards 
  in 
  extent, 
  lies 
  just 
  east 
  

   of 
  Long 
  Reef 
  and 
  has 
  dense 
  oysters 
  of 
  about 
  the 
  same 
  character 
  and 
  

   quality 
  as 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  reef. 
  The 
  depth 
  of 
  water 
  varies 
  from 
  

   3^ 
  to 
  4 
  feet. 
  A 
  station 
  on 
  the 
  patch 
  showed 
  705 
  bushels 
  of 
  seed 
  and 
  

   1,122 
  bushels 
  of 
  marketable 
  oysters 
  per 
  acre, 
  making, 
  all 
  told, 
  for 
  

   the 
  patch 
  2,115 
  bushels 
  of 
  seed 
  and 
  3,366 
  bushels 
  of 
  marketable 
  

   oysters. 
  

  

  The 
  followino; 
  tables 
  show 
  the 
  data 
  obtained 
  from 
  this 
  bed: 
  

  

  