﻿KEPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  107 
  

  

  of 
  the 
  first 
  importance 
  was 
  the 
  question 
  of 
  density 
  or 
  salinity 
  of 
  the 
  water, 
  the 
  

   determination 
  of 
  which 
  alone 
  would 
  show, 
  to 
  a 
  great 
  degree, 
  the 
  suitability 
  of 
  any 
  

   locality 
  for 
  cultivating 
  purposes. 
  

  

  The 
  questions 
  of 
  the 
  physical 
  observations 
  on 
  the 
  beds 
  and 
  the 
  examinations 
  of 
  

   the 
  oysters 
  themselves 
  were 
  of 
  the 
  greatest 
  importance. 
  It 
  was 
  necessary 
  that 
  

   sufficiently 
  accurate 
  current 
  observations 
  should 
  be 
  taken 
  to 
  establish 
  the 
  approx- 
  

   imate 
  velocity 
  and 
  the 
  general 
  set 
  of 
  ebb 
  and 
  flood 
  tides, 
  as 
  such 
  data 
  is 
  essential 
  in 
  

   connection 
  with 
  the 
  food 
  supply 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  and 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  silt 
  or 
  mud 
  

   dei)osited 
  on 
  the 
  beds. 
  

  

  As 
  the 
  spawning 
  habits 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  depend 
  to 
  a 
  great 
  extent 
  on 
  the 
  temperature 
  

   of 
  the 
  watei', 
  the 
  temperature 
  observations 
  were 
  important. 
  Information 
  in 
  regard 
  

   to 
  the 
  spawning 
  was 
  to 
  be 
  collected 
  from 
  local 
  sources 
  and 
  from 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  

   specimens 
  preserved. 
  

  

  On 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  shallowness 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  in 
  localities 
  where 
  oysters 
  were 
  found, 
  

   it 
  was 
  impossible 
  to 
  tise 
  the 
  shij) 
  for 
  dredging 
  purposes. 
  Tlie 
  oystermen 
  employ 
  

   tongs 
  entirely, 
  and 
  tongs 
  were 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  more 
  serviceable 
  than 
  the 
  l)oat 
  dredge 
  for 
  

   our 
  purpose. 
  In 
  estimating 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  oysters 
  to 
  the 
  stated 
  given 
  area 
  — 
  as, 
  for 
  

   instance, 
  a 
  square 
  yard, 
  the 
  comparison 
  generally 
  used 
  in 
  former 
  surveys 
  — 
  the 
  boat 
  

   was 
  moored, 
  and 
  the 
  oysters 
  on 
  the 
  bed 
  were 
  tonged 
  and 
  counted 
  within 
  the 
  limits 
  

   covered 
  by 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  boat, 
  and 
  the 
  result 
  reduced 
  to 
  square 
  yards. 
  Any 
  

   method 
  employed 
  for 
  this 
  purpose, 
  although 
  correct 
  enough 
  for 
  the 
  particular 
  

   locality 
  where 
  used, 
  would, 
  of 
  course, 
  only 
  give 
  a 
  rough 
  approximation 
  for 
  the 
  

   whole 
  oyster 
  region, 
  unless 
  an 
  almost 
  infinite 
  number 
  of 
  such 
  observ.ations 
  were 
  

   made. 
  Still 
  this 
  method 
  gives 
  a 
  standard 
  to 
  which 
  observations 
  made 
  in 
  future 
  

   surveys 
  may 
  be 
  compared, 
  and 
  thus 
  shows 
  the 
  increase 
  or 
  decrease 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  time 
  

   in 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  oysters 
  on 
  the 
  l)eds. 
  

  

  The 
  shoalness 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  allowed 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  poles 
  in 
  taking 
  soundings 
  and 
  

   obtaining 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  bottom. 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  These 
  poles 
  were 
  1|- 
  inches 
  in 
  

   diameter 
  at 
  the 
  lower 
  end 
  and 
  slightly 
  tapering 
  to 
  the 
  upper 
  end. 
  They 
  were 
  14 
  

   feet 
  long, 
  and, 
  constructed 
  as 
  descril)ed, 
  were 
  light, 
  well 
  balanced, 
  and 
  strong. 
  By 
  

   their 
  use 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  oysters 
  could 
  be 
  immediately 
  detected, 
  not 
  only 
  by 
  the 
  

   "feel" 
  of 
  the 
  pole 
  to 
  the 
  poleman, 
  but 
  also 
  by 
  the 
  ringing 
  sound 
  given 
  out 
  on 
  

   striking 
  shells, 
  easily 
  heard 
  by 
  the 
  officer 
  in 
  charge 
  of 
  the 
  boat. 
  * 
  -* 
  ^ 
  All 
  oyster 
  

   reefs 
  and 
  areas 
  of 
  scattered 
  oysters 
  were 
  carefully 
  located, 
  the 
  reefs 
  composed 
  solely 
  

   of 
  old 
  shells, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  those 
  of 
  live 
  oysters, 
  and 
  whether 
  of 
  the 
  raccoon 
  type 
  or 
  not. 
  

  

  Full 
  notes 
  were 
  kept 
  in 
  the 
  record 
  books 
  of 
  the 
  results 
  of 
  the 
  examinations 
  — 
  the 
  

   type 
  of 
  oyster, 
  shape, 
  size, 
  and 
  appearance 
  of 
  the 
  shell, 
  whether 
  single 
  or 
  in 
  clusters, 
  

   growth 
  on 
  shell, 
  appearance 
  of 
  spat 
  or 
  young 
  growth, 
  flavor 
  and 
  coiulition 
  of 
  oyster, 
  

   numlier 
  of 
  oysters 
  to 
  stated 
  area, 
  2ir(jportiou 
  of 
  live 
  oysters 
  to 
  dead 
  shells, 
  appear- 
  

   ance 
  of 
  bed, 
  growth 
  and 
  cleanliness 
  of 
  bed. 
  A 
  careful 
  lookout 
  was 
  kept 
  for 
  enemies 
  

   of 
  the 
  oyster, 
  as 
  starfish, 
  drumfish, 
  drills, 
  conchs, 
  sponges, 
  etc., 
  and 
  their 
  presence 
  

   noted. 
  * 
  *■ 
  * 
  In 
  considering 
  the 
  ([uestion 
  of 
  bottom 
  suitable 
  for 
  the 
  planting 
  of 
  

   oysters, 
  those 
  areas 
  were 
  recorded 
  favorable 
  when 
  the 
  bottom 
  A\as 
  sufficiently 
  hard 
  

   to 
  prevent 
  the 
  oyster 
  from 
  sinking, 
  and, 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time, 
  possessing 
  sufficient 
  

   cohesion 
  to 
  resist 
  the 
  shifting 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  waves, 
  all 
  other 
  conditions 
  being 
  also 
  

   favorable. 
  Very 
  soft, 
  muddy 
  bottoms 
  were 
  considered 
  unsuitable, 
  but 
  those 
  of 
  a 
  

   somewhat 
  firmer 
  consistency 
  it 
  was 
  considered 
  possible 
  to 
  nuike 
  suitable 
  by 
  cover- 
  

   ing 
  them 
  with 
  layers 
  of 
  stones 
  or 
  shells. 
  

  

  The 
  results 
  of 
  tlie 
  survey 
  are 
  discussed 
  in 
  detail 
  for 
  all 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  

   region 
  studied, 
  beginning 
  witli 
  St. 
  Vincent 
  Sound 
  and 
  Indian 
  Lagoon 
  

   at 
  the 
  west. 
  The 
  principal 
  features 
  brought 
  out 
  for 
  each 
  are 
  the 
  depth 
  

   of 
  water 
  and 
  composition 
  of 
  the 
  bottom, 
  the 
  physical 
  characteristics, 
  the 
  

   nature 
  and 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  growths, 
  whether 
  dense 
  or 
  scattered, 
  

   of 
  marketable 
  quality 
  or 
  of 
  raccoon 
  type, 
  and 
  the 
  position 
  and 
  extent 
  of 
  

   territory 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  thought 
  may 
  be 
  adapted 
  to 
  oyster 
  planting. 
  

  

  