﻿192 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  and 
  was 
  iuhiid 
  in 
  a 
  groove 
  in 
  tlie 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  pole. 
  The 
  disk 
  was 
  of 
  

   brass, 
  3 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter, 
  and 
  slightly 
  concave 
  on 
  its 
  lower 
  surface. 
  

   It 
  was 
  attached 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  a 
  screw 
  cap 
  to 
  a 
  3-inch 
  length 
  of 
  1-inch 
  

   piping, 
  into 
  which 
  the 
  pole 
  was 
  fitted 
  and 
  riveted. 
  

  

  These 
  poles 
  were 
  1^ 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter 
  at 
  the 
  lower 
  end, 
  and 
  slightly 
  

   tapering 
  to 
  the 
  npper 
  end. 
  They 
  were 
  14 
  feet 
  long, 
  and, 
  constructed 
  as 
  

   described, 
  were 
  light, 
  well 
  balanced, 
  and 
  strong. 
  By 
  their 
  use 
  the 
  pres- 
  

   ence 
  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. 
  At 
  

   first, 
  observations 
  were 
  taken 
  and 
  examinations 
  made 
  whenever 
  the 
  

   oysters 
  were 
  discovered 
  in 
  running 
  the 
  lines; 
  later, 
  it 
  was 
  found 
  better 
  

   to 
  run 
  the 
  lines 
  first, 
  plot 
  the 
  position 
  of 
  oyster 
  beds, 
  and 
  then 
  to 
  

   revisit 
  the 
  beds, 
  occupying 
  different 
  stations 
  previously 
  marked 
  out 
  on 
  

   the 
  sheet. 
  This 
  latter 
  method 
  secured 
  uniformity, 
  and 
  Avas 
  more 
  

   thorough, 
  as 
  it 
  prevented 
  the 
  too 
  hurried 
  observations 
  that 
  were 
  likely 
  

   to 
  occur. 
  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 
  result 
  of 
  the 
  examina- 
  

   tions 
  — 
  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 
  condition 
  of 
  oyster, 
  number 
  of 
  oysters 
  to 
  

   stated 
  area, 
  proportion 
  of 
  live 
  oysters 
  to 
  dead 
  shells, 
  appearance 
  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. 
  At 
  each 
  observation 
  point 
  the 
  probe 
  

   was 
  used 
  to 
  determine 
  the 
  different 
  layers 
  at 
  different 
  depths 
  of 
  the 
  

   bed. 
  An 
  especially 
  constructed 
  probe, 
  with 
  a 
  steel 
  drill 
  point 
  and 
  con- 
  

   nected 
  by 
  lengths 
  of 
  piping, 
  was 
  used, 
  and 
  in 
  some 
  instances 
  was 
  driven 
  

   to 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  12 
  feet. 
  At 
  each 
  observation 
  point 
  specimens 
  of 
  oysters 
  

   were 
  preserved, 
  and 
  these 
  specimens 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  season 
  were 
  

   turned 
  over 
  to 
  a 
  Fish 
  Commission' 
  expert 
  at 
  Washington 
  for 
  examiua- 
  

   tion, 
  and 
  a 
  report 
  made 
  upon 
  them. 
  The 
  result 
  of 
  the 
  examination 
  

   appears 
  in 
  tbis 
  report. 
  

  

  In 
  considering 
  the 
  question 
  of 
  bottom 
  suitable 
  for 
  the 
  planting 
  of 
  

   oysters, 
  those 
  areas 
  were 
  recorded 
  favorable 
  when 
  the 
  bottom 
  was 
  suf- 
  

   ficiently 
  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 
  make 
  suitable 
  by 
  covering 
  them 
  with 
  

   layers 
  of 
  stones 
  or 
  shells. 
  

  

  When 
  wiu-king 
  in 
  St. 
  Vincent 
  Sound 
  the 
  ship 
  was 
  some 
  18 
  miles 
  from 
  

   Apalachicola 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  necessary 
  to 
  send 
  the 
  steam 
  launch 
  to 
  that 
  

   town 
  once 
  a 
  Aveek 
  for 
  provisions 
  and 
  mail. 
  Later, 
  when 
  the 
  work 
  had 
  

   progressed 
  to 
  the 
  eastward, 
  a 
  return 
  to 
  an 
  anchorage 
  about 
  3 
  miles 
  

  

  