﻿198 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  shore 
  of 
  St. 
  A'incent 
  Sound, 
  just 
  to 
  the 
  eastward 
  of 
  the 
  thickest 
  section 
  

   of 
  the 
  scattered 
  oyster 
  area. 
  There 
  is 
  a 
  good 
  scattered 
  growth 
  there 
  at 
  

   present, 
  which 
  probably 
  resulted 
  from 
  this 
  planting. 
  Mr. 
  Ruge 
  was 
  

   unsuccessful, 
  owing, 
  as 
  he 
  states, 
  to 
  iusutficient 
  protection 
  by 
  the 
  State 
  

   law. 
  The 
  planting 
  ground 
  along 
  the 
  St. 
  Vincent 
  Island 
  shore 
  covers 
  

   740 
  acres, 
  and 
  extends 
  from 
  the 
  wide 
  belt 
  of 
  scattered 
  growth 
  to 
  Silva's 
  

   Bar, 
  and 
  out 
  to 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  about 
  5 
  feet 
  at 
  low 
  water. 
  

  

  The 
  whole 
  eastern 
  portion 
  of 
  St. 
  Vincent 
  Sound 
  is 
  well 
  fitted 
  by- 
  

   nature 
  for 
  the 
  cultivation 
  of 
  oysters. 
  The 
  density 
  and 
  temperatures 
  are 
  

   favorable, 
  the 
  bottom 
  is 
  smooth 
  and 
  uniform 
  in 
  depth, 
  and 
  the 
  locality 
  

   is 
  well 
  sheltered 
  from 
  violent 
  storms; 
  it 
  is 
  generally 
  deep 
  enough 
  not 
  

   to 
  be 
  affected 
  by 
  the 
  freezes 
  which 
  occur 
  during 
  the 
  heavy 
  northers 
  in 
  

   winter, 
  when 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  is 
  far 
  below 
  mean 
  low-water 
  

   level. 
  This 
  locality 
  is 
  free 
  from 
  enemies 
  of 
  the 
  oyster, 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  known, 
  

   and 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  likely 
  to 
  be 
  affected 
  by 
  freshets 
  in 
  the 
  Apalachicola 
  River. 
  

   Probably 
  the 
  whole 
  eastern 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  sound 
  might 
  be 
  placed 
  under 
  

   cultivation 
  by 
  covering 
  the 
  soft 
  mud 
  of 
  the 
  bottom 
  with 
  shells 
  or 
  other 
  

   suitable 
  substances, 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  spat 
  might 
  attach 
  itself. 
  

  

  APALACHICOLA 
  BAY. 
  

  

  General 
  description. 
  — 
  The 
  whole 
  bay 
  covers 
  an 
  area 
  of 
  G3 
  square 
  miles. 
  

   It 
  extends 
  about 
  10 
  miles 
  in 
  an 
  east-and-west 
  direction 
  and 
  about 
  6J 
  

   miles 
  in 
  a 
  north-and-south 
  direction. 
  It 
  is 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  sea 
  by 
  

   West 
  Pass, 
  Sand 
  Island 
  Pass, 
  and 
  New 
  Inlet. 
  The 
  latter 
  two, 
  on 
  

   account 
  of 
  their 
  shoal 
  water, 
  are 
  of 
  little 
  imiDortance. 
  Through 
  West 
  

   Pass 
  13 
  feet 
  can 
  be 
  carried 
  at 
  low 
  water, 
  and 
  after 
  entering 
  the 
  bay 
  

   the 
  channel 
  deepens 
  to 
  16 
  feet, 
  and 
  this 
  depth 
  can 
  be 
  carried 
  to 
  a 
  posi- 
  

   tion 
  northwest 
  of 
  Xew 
  Inlet. 
  With 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  this 
  deep 
  channel, 
  

   the 
  bay 
  is 
  generally 
  shoal, 
  the 
  depth 
  decreasing 
  as 
  the 
  northern 
  shore 
  

   is 
  approached. 
  The 
  most 
  noticeable 
  hydrographic 
  feature 
  of 
  the 
  bay 
  

   is 
  an 
  oyster 
  reef, 
  composed 
  mostly 
  of 
  dead 
  shells, 
  which 
  practically 
  

   divides 
  the 
  westei-n 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  bay. 
  This 
  reef 
  is 
  called 
  St. 
  Vincent 
  

   Bar, 
  is 
  very 
  narrow, 
  and 
  extends 
  out 
  from 
  St. 
  Vincent 
  Point 
  in 
  an 
  

   easterly 
  and 
  southerly 
  direction 
  for 
  about 
  1 
  miles. 
  The 
  ship 
  channel 
  is 
  

   around 
  the 
  south 
  end 
  of 
  this 
  reef, 
  but 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  boat 
  channel 
  through 
  

   the 
  reef, 
  with 
  4 
  feet 
  at 
  low 
  water, 
  about 
  half 
  a 
  mile 
  from 
  St. 
  Vincent 
  

   Point. 
  Between 
  St. 
  Vincent 
  Bar- 
  and 
  Apalachicola 
  are 
  found 
  all 
  the 
  

   oyster 
  reefs 
  of 
  the 
  western 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  baj^ 
  These 
  beds 
  were 
  formerly 
  

   productive, 
  but 
  are 
  not 
  at 
  present 
  worked. 
  

  

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

   beds, 
  mostly 
  of 
  scattered 
  oysters, 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  eastern 
  part, 
  until 
  

   St. 
  George 
  Sound 
  is 
  reached. 
  

  

  By 
  far 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  central 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  

   bay 
  is 
  soft 
  mud. 
  There 
  is 
  a 
  dredged 
  channel 
  to 
  Apalachicola, 
  and 
  also 
  

   one 
  into 
  St. 
  George 
  Sound. 
  The 
  latter 
  body 
  of 
  water 
  adjoins 
  the 
  bay 
  

   to 
  the 
  eastward, 
  and 
  a 
  line 
  drawn 
  from 
  Cat 
  Point, 
  south, 
  forms 
  the 
  

   division. 
  The 
  bay 
  adjoins 
  St. 
  Vincent 
  Sound 
  at 
  a 
  line 
  between 
  Green 
  

  

  