﻿196 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  The 
  bottom 
  of 
  this 
  location 
  is 
  hard 
  mud 
  and 
  is 
  smooth 
  and 
  clean. 
  

   The 
  whole 
  planting 
  area 
  extends 
  along 
  the 
  southern 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  chan- 
  

   nel 
  for 
  l.i 
  miles 
  and 
  reaches 
  nearly 
  to 
  the 
  Bulkhead. 
  The 
  velocity 
  of 
  

   the 
  current 
  in 
  the 
  channel 
  is 
  about 
  2 
  knots 
  an 
  hour, 
  setting 
  in 
  the 
  direc- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  channel, 
  and 
  the 
  current 
  on 
  the 
  planting 
  area 
  is 
  somewhat 
  

   less. 
  The 
  density 
  here 
  is 
  1.0197, 
  which 
  is 
  considerably 
  higher 
  than 
  

   appears 
  on 
  the 
  best 
  oyster-grounds 
  to 
  the 
  eastward, 
  in 
  Apalachicola 
  

   Bay 
  and 
  elsewhere. 
  The 
  average 
  temperature 
  for 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  obser- 
  

   vations 
  was 
  53^ 
  F.— 
  the 
  highest 
  57^ 
  F., 
  the 
  lowest 
  48° 
  F. 
  

  

  Considering 
  that 
  the 
  Bulkhead 
  acts 
  as 
  a 
  barrier 
  to 
  shut 
  off, 
  not 
  only 
  

   the 
  supply 
  of 
  fresh 
  water, 
  but 
  also 
  the 
  source 
  of 
  food, 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  said 
  

   that 
  this 
  planting 
  ground 
  would 
  probably 
  not 
  give 
  as 
  favorable 
  results 
  

   as 
  other 
  grounds 
  to 
  be 
  described 
  later. 
  This 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  sound 
  is 
  

   therefore 
  not 
  of 
  great 
  importance, 
  either 
  as 
  a 
  source 
  of 
  obtaining 
  oysters 
  

   for 
  market 
  or 
  as 
  planting 
  ground, 
  for, 
  except 
  in 
  the 
  localities 
  mentioned, 
  

   the 
  bottom 
  is 
  very 
  soft 
  mud 
  and 
  the 
  water 
  is 
  not 
  entirely 
  suitable 
  for 
  

   oyster 
  life. 
  

  

  Oyster 
  beds 
  of 
  St. 
  Yincent 
  Sound 
  from 
  the 
  Bulkhead 
  to 
  its 
  eastern 
  

   limit. 
  — 
  St. 
  Yincent 
  Sound 
  between 
  the 
  Bulkhead 
  and 
  its 
  eastern 
  limit 
  

   covers 
  an 
  area 
  of 
  about 
  13 
  square 
  miles, 
  and 
  is 
  about 
  7 
  miles 
  long, 
  

   with 
  an 
  average 
  width 
  of 
  nearly 
  2 
  miles. 
  It 
  is 
  generally 
  shoal, 
  and 
  

   only 
  4;! 
  feet 
  can 
  be 
  carried 
  through 
  it 
  into 
  Apalachicola 
  Bay. 
  

  

  The 
  fresh-water 
  supply 
  is 
  furnished 
  by 
  the 
  various 
  runs 
  and 
  creeks 
  

   on 
  both 
  shores 
  and 
  by 
  Apalachicola 
  Biver 
  to 
  the 
  eastward; 
  the 
  amount 
  

   of 
  salt 
  water 
  is 
  regulated 
  by 
  the 
  barrier 
  formed 
  by 
  the 
  Bulkhead. 
  The 
  

   current 
  runs 
  with 
  a 
  gentle 
  flow 
  throughout 
  its 
  length 
  and 
  gives 
  an 
  abun- 
  

   dant 
  food 
  supply. 
  The 
  temperatures 
  are 
  not 
  abnormal. 
  About 
  half 
  

   of 
  the 
  bottom 
  is 
  either 
  hard 
  or 
  soft 
  sand, 
  or 
  hard 
  mud. 
  All 
  the 
  condi- 
  

   tions 
  are 
  therefore 
  quite 
  favorable 
  to 
  oyster 
  life, 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  here 
  that 
  in 
  

   former 
  years 
  a 
  good 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  supply 
  of 
  oysters 
  was 
  found 
  by 
  

   the 
  oystermen. 
  Doubtless 
  the 
  only 
  reason 
  that 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  exist 
  now 
  iu 
  

   great 
  numbers 
  is 
  that 
  the 
  supply 
  proved 
  too 
  small 
  for 
  the 
  demand, 
  aud 
  

   thus 
  the 
  overworking 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  gradually 
  brought 
  about 
  their 
  pres- 
  

   ent 
  condition. 
  However, 
  it 
  seems 
  from 
  the 
  quantity 
  of 
  young 
  growth 
  

   found, 
  and 
  from 
  the 
  general 
  api)earance 
  of 
  the 
  beds, 
  that 
  if 
  they 
  were 
  

   left 
  imdisturhed 
  for 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  they 
  would 
  recover 
  their 
  former 
  

   I)roductiveness. 
  This 
  is 
  likely 
  to 
  occur, 
  as 
  practically 
  the 
  beds 
  are 
  not 
  

   worked 
  at 
  present. 
  

  

  Of 
  the 
  thick 
  growth 
  of 
  oysters 
  found 
  in 
  this 
  area, 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  bed 
  con- 
  

   taining 
  50 
  acres 
  on 
  the 
  north 
  side, 
  just 
  east 
  of 
  the 
  Bulkhead. 
  Near 
  

   the 
  center 
  of 
  this 
  growth 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  long, 
  narrow 
  reef 
  of 
  dead 
  shells, 
  

   exposed 
  at 
  nearly 
  all 
  tides 
  and 
  extending 
  in 
  a 
  NW, 
  and 
  SF. 
  direction. 
  

   The 
  oysters 
  bordering 
  this 
  reef 
  are 
  found 
  more 
  closely 
  together 
  than 
  

   the 
  outlying 
  ones; 
  they 
  are 
  all 
  single 
  oysters 
  and 
  are 
  of 
  good 
  quality. 
  

   There 
  is 
  another 
  area 
  of 
  dense 
  growth, 
  of 
  about 
  13 
  acres, 
  near 
  the 
  

   mouth 
  of 
  the 
  large 
  bayou 
  on 
  the 
  north 
  shore 
  of 
  St. 
  Yincent 
  Island. 
  

   The 
  oysters 
  here 
  are 
  of 
  good 
  quality 
  aud 
  are 
  large, 
  single 
  oysters. 
  

  

  