﻿108 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  Formerly 
  a 
  large 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  oysters 
  marketed 
  at 
  Apalacbicola 
  were 
  

   obtained 
  iu 
  St. 
  Vincent 
  Sound, 
  but 
  the 
  principal 
  seat 
  of 
  operations 
  

   bas 
  been 
  sbifted 
  fartber 
  eastward. 
  In 
  tbis 
  sound 
  tbe 
  best 
  oyster 
  

   growtbs 
  are 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  eastward 
  of 
  tbe 
  Bulkbead, 
  but 
  bere, 
  as 
  else- 
  

   wbere 
  tbrougbout 
  tbe 
  region, 
  there 
  has 
  been 
  a 
  very 
  extensive 
  destruc- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  oyster 
  beds 
  by 
  recent 
  hurricanes. 
  The 
  whole 
  eastern 
  part 
  of 
  

   St. 
  Vincent 
  Sound 
  is 
  well 
  fitted 
  for 
  tbe 
  cultivation 
  of 
  oysters. 
  The 
  

   density 
  and 
  temperature 
  are 
  favorable, 
  the 
  bottom 
  is 
  smooth 
  and 
  

   uniform 
  in 
  depth, 
  and 
  the 
  locality 
  is 
  generally 
  well 
  sheltered 
  from 
  

   violent 
  storms. 
  

  

  Apalacbicola 
  Bay 
  has 
  a 
  total 
  area 
  of 
  63 
  square 
  miles, 
  and, 
  with 
  the 
  

   exception 
  of 
  a 
  single 
  deep 
  channel, 
  is 
  generally 
  shallow. 
  The 
  most 
  

   noticeable 
  hydrographic 
  feature 
  is 
  an 
  oyster 
  reef 
  called 
  St. 
  Vincent 
  

   Bar, 
  which 
  is 
  composed 
  mostly 
  of 
  dead 
  shells 
  and 
  practically 
  divides 
  

   the 
  western 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  bay. 
  Between 
  St. 
  Vincent 
  Bar 
  and 
  Apalacbi- 
  

   cola 
  are 
  located 
  all 
  the 
  oyster 
  reefs 
  of 
  this 
  section 
  of 
  the 
  bay. 
  These 
  

   beds 
  were 
  formerly 
  productive, 
  but 
  are 
  not 
  worked 
  at 
  present. 
  The 
  

   central 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  bay 
  is 
  devoid 
  of 
  oyster 
  beds, 
  and 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  beds, 
  

   mostly 
  of 
  scattered 
  oysters, 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  tbe 
  eastern 
  part 
  until 
  St. 
  

   George 
  Sound 
  is 
  reached. 
  A 
  considerable 
  area 
  of 
  bottom 
  was 
  ascer- 
  

   tained 
  to 
  be 
  suitable 
  for 
  planting 
  purposes. 
  

  

  Tbe 
  only 
  oyster 
  beds 
  in 
  St. 
  George 
  Sound 
  which 
  are 
  now 
  important 
  

   are 
  the 
  large 
  ones 
  at 
  the 
  west 
  end. 
  There 
  are 
  other 
  beds 
  eastward 
  

   of 
  the 
  limits 
  of 
  the 
  survey, 
  some 
  of 
  which 
  were 
  formerly 
  productive, 
  

   but 
  at 
  i)resent 
  none 
  are 
  worked. 
  Tbe 
  area 
  from 
  Cat 
  Point 
  southeast 
  

   to 
  St. 
  George 
  Island, 
  for 
  an 
  average 
  width 
  of 
  nearly' 
  three-fourths 
  

   of 
  a 
  mile, 
  forms 
  one 
  large 
  continuous 
  oyster 
  bed, 
  although 
  different 
  

   names 
  are 
  given 
  to 
  different 
  parts 
  of 
  it. 
  It 
  is 
  here 
  that 
  the 
  oyster 
  fleet, 
  

   consisting 
  of 
  about 
  32 
  vessels, 
  bas 
  recently 
  been 
  concentrated, 
  and 
  

   during 
  tbe 
  season 
  of 
  the 
  survey 
  practically 
  all 
  the 
  oysters 
  brought 
  into 
  

   Apalacbicola 
  were 
  obtained 
  on 
  these 
  beds. 
  

  

  According 
  to 
  Lieutenant 
  Swift, 
  oysters 
  were 
  first 
  taken 
  for 
  the 
  local 
  

   market 
  in 
  the 
  region 
  covered 
  by 
  the 
  investigations 
  in 
  1830, 
  l)ut 
  not 
  in 
  

   any 
  quantities 
  until 
  1850. 
  During 
  the 
  war 
  the 
  beds 
  were 
  left 
  undis- 
  

   turbed 
  and 
  they 
  improved 
  so 
  much 
  that 
  they 
  were 
  subsequently 
  in 
  very 
  

   good 
  condition. 
  Tbe 
  business 
  was 
  again 
  resumed, 
  but 
  was 
  not 
  carried 
  

   on 
  extensively 
  until 
  1878. 
  During 
  tbe 
  winter 
  of 
  1803-94 
  the 
  beds 
  of 
  

   St. 
  Vincent 
  Sound 
  and 
  Apalacbicola 
  Bay 
  were 
  nearly 
  destroyed, 
  and 
  

   since 
  then 
  practically 
  no 
  oysters 
  have 
  been 
  obtained 
  in 
  those 
  ])laces. 
  

   This 
  destruction 
  was 
  partly 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  overfishing, 
  but 
  was 
  due 
  

   mainly 
  to 
  tbe 
  effects 
  of 
  freshets, 
  hurricanes, 
  and 
  freezing. 
  Tlie 
  Bulk- 
  

   bead 
  and 
  Cat 
  Point 
  bars 
  have 
  lately 
  furnished 
  about 
  all 
  the 
  oysters 
  

   brought 
  into 
  market, 
  although 
  some 
  few 
  have 
  been 
  taken 
  at 
  Porters 
  

   Bar 
  to 
  the 
  eastward. 
  It 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  general 
  opinion 
  that 
  the 
  beds 
  

   are 
  deteriorating 
  at 
  the 
  Platform 
  and 
  on 
  tbe 
  Bulkbead 
  and 
  Cat 
  Point 
  

   bars, 
  where 
  oystering 
  is 
  going 
  on 
  at 
  present, 
  and 
  the 
  reason 
  assigned 
  

   is 
  that 
  the 
  beds 
  are 
  overworked, 
  the 
  supply 
  being 
  unequal 
  to 
  the 
  

   demand. 
  

  

  I 
  

  

  