44 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OF MISSISSIPPI SOUND, ALA. 



tained for a period of years. The estimated total content of oysters 

 on the several parts of the different beds is shown in the following 

 table : 



Summarized Content of Market Oysters on Public Beds. 



Of the total it is estimated that the beds lying in the contiguous 

 parts of Mobile Bay and Mississippi Sound bear over 98 per cent, or 

 569,720 bushels, of which 488,937 bushels occur as dense growth, 52,796 

 bushels as scattermg, 21,990 bushels as very scattering, and but 5,997 

 bushels on the so-called depleted bottom. It will be seen from this 

 that the depleted bottom and even the areas of very scattering 

 growth bore a wholly insignificant crop of oysters at the time of 

 examination. The present negligible character of these two classes, 

 and especially the lowest, regarded as naturally productive beds, is 

 still more plainly seen by a comparison of their content per acre with 

 that of the areas of dense and scattering growth. 



Considering as a whole all of the beds examined in the State, aggre- 

 gating 4,008 acres, the areas classed as dense bore an average of 336 

 bushels of oysters of market size per acre, the scattering 105 bushels, 

 very scattering 51 bushels, and the depleted but 4 bushels. It should 

 be stated that for the more prolific growths the averages probably 

 understate the truth, while for the very scattering and depleted 

 growths they are approximately accurate. On very rank growth the 



