﻿38 
  OYSTER 
  BOTTOMS 
  OP 
  LAVACA 
  BAY, 
  TEX. 
  

  

  The 
  natural 
  beds 
  have 
  been 
  slowly 
  developed 
  on 
  bottom 
  similar 
  to 
  

   that 
  which 
  surrounds 
  them 
  solely 
  because 
  through 
  some 
  agency 
  there 
  

   originally 
  lodged 
  on 
  the 
  mud 
  or 
  sand 
  some 
  hard 
  objects 
  to 
  which 
  

   the 
  young 
  oysters 
  could 
  safely 
  chng. 
  Oysters 
  developing 
  there 
  and 
  

   their 
  shells 
  scattered 
  about 
  by 
  the 
  waves 
  furnished 
  additional 
  places 
  

   for 
  fixation 
  of 
  new 
  generations 
  of 
  young, 
  with 
  the 
  result 
  that 
  the 
  

   original 
  growth 
  extended 
  in 
  area 
  and 
  its 
  bed 
  became 
  a 
  compact 
  

   mass 
  of 
  shells 
  and 
  fragments, 
  beneath 
  which 
  can 
  still 
  be 
  found 
  by 
  

   excavation 
  or 
  probing 
  the 
  original 
  bottom 
  differing 
  in 
  no 
  essential 
  

   particular 
  from 
  the 
  adjacent 
  barren 
  areas. 
  

  

  All 
  that 
  is 
  required 
  by 
  the 
  barren 
  bottom 
  in 
  order 
  that 
  it 
  may 
  

   become 
  productive 
  is 
  that 
  its 
  surface 
  should 
  be 
  supplied 
  with 
  hard 
  

   objects 
  or 
  cultch, 
  either 
  through 
  natural 
  agencies 
  or 
  by 
  the 
  hand 
  of 
  

   man. 
  The 
  capacity 
  of 
  the 
  bottom 
  to 
  sustain 
  material 
  deposited 
  on 
  

   it 
  and 
  to 
  maintain 
  it 
  m 
  proper 
  condition 
  to 
  serve 
  as 
  cultch 
  depends 
  

   largely 
  on 
  its 
  stability 
  and 
  consistency. 
  Moving 
  sands 
  gradually 
  

   cover 
  objects 
  deposited 
  on 
  their 
  surface 
  and 
  soft 
  mud 
  permits 
  them 
  

   to 
  sink. 
  It 
  is 
  therefore 
  of 
  prime 
  importance 
  for 
  the 
  oyster 
  culturist 
  

   to 
  have 
  information 
  concerning 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  bottom, 
  and 
  it 
  

   was 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  purposes 
  of 
  the 
  survey 
  to 
  supply 
  it. 
  

  

  The 
  methods 
  and 
  the 
  instrument 
  employed 
  have 
  been 
  described 
  in 
  

   the 
  introductory 
  part 
  of 
  this 
  report 
  and 
  the 
  results 
  attained 
  are 
  shown 
  

   grai)hically 
  on 
  the 
  chart. 
  

  

  The 
  sjmibols 
  on 
  the 
  chart 
  designating 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  bottom 
  

   do 
  not 
  show 
  all 
  of 
  tlie 
  places 
  at 
  which 
  examinations 
  were 
  made, 
  but 
  

   only 
  those 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  selected 
  as 
  representative 
  of 
  the 
  general 
  

   conditions 
  obtaining 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity. 
  It 
  may 
  be 
  assumed 
  that 
  between 
  

   any 
  two 
  adjacent 
  symbols 
  of 
  different 
  significance 
  the 
  change 
  in 
  the 
  

   character 
  of 
  the 
  bottom 
  is 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  gradual. 
  

  

  While 
  practically 
  none 
  of 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  Lavaca 
  Bay 
  is 
  composed 
  

   of 
  ooze, 
  practically 
  all 
  of 
  it, 
  except 
  in 
  places 
  alongshore 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  

   immediate 
  vicinity 
  of 
  the 
  reefs, 
  is 
  composed 
  of 
  soft 
  or 
  very 
  soft 
  mud, 
  

   which 
  under 
  the 
  economic 
  conditions 
  of 
  the 
  locality 
  are 
  hardly 
  worthy 
  

   of 
  serious 
  consideration 
  for 
  purposes 
  of 
  oyster 
  culture. 
  

  

  The 
  bottoms 
  which 
  are 
  classed 
  in 
  this 
  report 
  as 
  hard 
  and 
  stiff 
  mud 
  

   are 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  scattered 
  along 
  the 
  margins 
  of 
  the 
  bay, 
  usually 
  

   within 
  one-half 
  mile 
  of 
  shore. 
  The 
  largest 
  body 
  of 
  bottom 
  naturally 
  

   firm 
  enough 
  for 
  plantmg 
  oysters 
  without 
  danger 
  of 
  havmg 
  them 
  

   engulfed 
  and 
  smothered 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  southeastern 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  bay 
  between 
  

   Sand 
  Point 
  and 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  Kellers 
  Bay. 
  The 
  location 
  of 
  other 
  

   areas 
  may 
  be 
  most 
  readily 
  determined 
  from 
  the 
  chart. 
  

  

  