﻿Oyster 
  bottoms 
  of 
  lavaca 
  bay, 
  tex. 
  

  

  35 
  

  

  As 
  is 
  explained 
  in 
  the 
  introductory 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  report, 
  the 
  classi- 
  

   fication 
  is 
  based 
  on 
  the 
  relative 
  abundance 
  of 
  oysters 
  over 
  3 
  inches 
  

   long, 
  which 
  is 
  assumed 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  minimum 
  size 
  which 
  could 
  be 
  used 
  

   for 
  market 
  purposes. 
  The 
  smaller 
  oysters, 
  while 
  recorded 
  and 
  else- 
  

   where 
  discussed, 
  do 
  not 
  enter 
  in 
  any 
  way 
  into 
  the 
  classification. 
  

   Neither 
  does 
  the 
  term 
  dense 
  mean 
  a 
  continuous 
  cover 
  of 
  massed 
  

   oysters. 
  It 
  is 
  used 
  to 
  express 
  the 
  condition 
  where 
  oysters 
  in 
  excess 
  

   of 
  150 
  bushels 
  per 
  acre 
  are 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  bottom, 
  either 
  as 
  a 
  con- 
  

   tinuous 
  growth 
  or 
  in 
  separated 
  clusters, 
  lying 
  on 
  the 
  mud 
  or 
  sand. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  table 
  gives 
  the 
  estimated 
  total 
  content 
  of 
  each 
  class 
  

   of 
  growth 
  of 
  each 
  bed: 
  

  

  Summarized 
  Content 
  of 
  Market 
  Oysters 
  on 
  Public 
  Beds. 
  

  

  Name 
  of 
  bed. 
  

  

  Sand 
  Point 
  R 
  nef 
  

  

  Lumps 
  northeast 
  of 
  Sand 
  Point 
  Keef 
  

  

  Middlfi 
  Ground 
  Reof 
  

  

  Old 
  Town 
  Bed 
  

  

  Lumps 
  south 
  of 
  Old 
  Town 
  Bed 
  

  

  Bed 
  north 
  of 
  Middle 
  Ground 
  

  

  Kellers 
  Bed 
  

  

  Rhodes 
  Point 
  Reel 
  

  

  Cox 
  Bed 
  

  

  Lumps 
  east 
  of 
  Cox 
  Bed 
  

  

  Gallinippor 
  Reef 
  

  

  Mitchell 
  Point 
  Reef 
  

  

  Point 
  Comfort 
  Beds 
  

  

  Lap 
  Reef 
  

  

  Chicken 
  Reef 
  

  

  Northwest 
  of 
  Lap 
  Reef 
  

  

  Chain 
  Beds 
  

  

  Hoppe 
  Lump 
  

  

  Half 
  Moon 
  Reef 
  , 
  

  

  Long 
  Reef 
  

  

  Patches 
  near 
  Gar 
  Signal 
  

  

  Benado 
  Creek 
  Reef 
  

  

  Between 
  Benado 
  Creek 
  and 
  Lavaca 
  River 
  

  

  Total 
  

  

  Character 
  of 
  03-stGr 
  growth. 
  

  

  Dense. 
  

  

  Bushels. 
  

  

  10, 
  536 
  

  

  3,055 
  

  

  426,240 
  

  

  309,-304 
  

  

  9,310 
  

  

  74,563 
  

  

  543, 
  150 
  

  

  617,545 
  

  

  421,366 
  

  

  1, 
  716 
  

  

  192, 
  794 
  

  

  392, 
  0S4 
  

  

  21,344 
  

  

  64,602 
  

  

  22, 
  176 
  

  

  23, 
  305 
  

  

  46, 
  624 
  

  

  8,118 
  

  

  4,983 
  

  

  21,248 
  

  

  5,440 
  

  

  12,987 
  

  

  12, 
  716 
  

  

  3,251,206 
  

  

  Scatter- 
  

   ing. 
  

  

  Bushels. 
  

  

  3,836 
  

  

  10, 
  527 
  

  

  3,720 
  

   4, 
  040 
  

   4,953 
  

   1,270 
  

  

  4,400 
  

   '3,'645' 
  

  

  1,380 
  

  

  37, 
  771 
  

  

  Very 
  

   scatter- 
  

   ing. 
  

  

  Bushels. 
  

   1,140 
  

  

  2, 
  080 
  

  

  1.022 
  

   980 
  

  

  De- 
  

   pleted. 
  

  

  Bushels. 
  

   372 
  

  

  7,373 
  

  

  Total. 
  

  

  Bushels. 
  

  

  18, 
  048 
  

  

  6, 
  73.'i 
  

  

  430, 
  076 
  

  

  309, 
  304 
  

  

  9,310 
  

  

  74,,5a3 
  

  

  543, 
  150 
  

  

  628,231 
  

  

  421,366 
  

  

  5,436 
  

  

  197. 
  434 
  

  

  397, 
  949 
  

  

  22, 
  614 
  

  

  05, 
  723 
  

  

  27, 
  610 
  

  

  23,305 
  

  

  49, 
  669 
  

  

  8,118 
  

  

  4,983 
  

  

  21,248 
  

  

  5.440 
  

  

  14.847 
  

  

  12,716 
  

  

  3,296,881 
  

  

  This 
  table 
  shows 
  an 
  extraordinary 
  average 
  of 
  525 
  bushels 
  of 
  large 
  

   oysters 
  per 
  acre 
  of 
  the 
  areas 
  classed 
  as 
  bearing 
  a 
  dense 
  growth 
  and 
  of 
  

   nearly 
  500 
  bushels 
  per 
  acre 
  for 
  the 
  entire 
  area 
  of 
  oyster 
  beds 
  in 
  the 
  

   bay. 
  Therefore, 
  not 
  only 
  is 
  the 
  ratio 
  of 
  dense 
  growth 
  to 
  the 
  whole 
  

   greater, 
  but 
  the 
  density 
  of 
  growth 
  on 
  that 
  area 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  beds 
  as 
  a 
  

   whole 
  is 
  much 
  greater 
  than 
  in 
  any 
  other 
  region 
  of 
  approximately 
  equal 
  

   extent 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  examined 
  by 
  the 
  Bureau. 
  

  

  Middle 
  Ground 
  and 
  Old 
  Town 
  Beds 
  are 
  the 
  most 
  productive, 
  each 
  

   producing 
  over 
  their 
  extensive 
  areas 
  an 
  average 
  of 
  about 
  950 
  bushels 
  

   of 
  large 
  oysters 
  per 
  acre. 
  This 
  is 
  exceeded 
  slightly 
  by 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  

   small 
  lumps 
  in 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  bay. 
  This, 
  however, 
  constitutes 
  

   but 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  content, 
  for 
  the 
  smaller 
  oysters 
  are 
  numerically 
  

  

  