﻿204 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  Oijuierfi 
  hefirern 
  South 
  Lump 
  and 
  centred 
  part 
  of 
  St. 
  Vincent 
  Bar. 
  — 
  A 
  

   cluster 
  of 
  beds, 
  surrounded 
  by 
  a 
  scattered 
  gTowtli 
  of 
  oysters, 
  occupies 
  

   a 
  space 
  about 
  half 
  way 
  between 
  South 
  Lumj) 
  and 
  the 
  central 
  ])art 
  of 
  

   St. 
  Vincent 
  Bar. 
  The 
  reefs 
  proper 
  consist 
  of 
  one 
  large 
  cresceut-shaped 
  

   reef, 
  containing 
  18 
  acres 
  of 
  dense 
  growth, 
  and 
  two 
  smalt 
  ones 
  to 
  the 
  

   east 
  and 
  west 
  of 
  the 
  large 
  one, 
  containing 
  respectively 
  4 
  and 
  3 
  acres. 
  

   The 
  large 
  area 
  of 
  scattered 
  growth 
  lies 
  to 
  the 
  westward 
  and 
  northward 
  

   of 
  the 
  reefs, 
  and 
  contains 
  145 
  acres. 
  On 
  the 
  beds 
  there 
  are 
  4 
  to 
  5 
  

   feet 
  of 
  water, 
  and 
  the 
  water 
  surrounding 
  them 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  scattered 
  

   growth 
  is 
  about 
  7 
  to 
  8 
  feet 
  in 
  depth. 
  There 
  are 
  some 
  full-grown 
  oysters 
  

   in 
  bunches 
  of 
  from 
  2 
  to 
  4, 
  but 
  the 
  beds 
  consist 
  principally 
  of 
  young 
  

   growth 
  in 
  all 
  stages 
  of 
  development, 
  most 
  of 
  which 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  in 
  good, 
  

   healthy 
  condition. 
  

  

  With 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  young 
  growth 
  a 
  peculiar 
  circumstance 
  was 
  noted 
  

   in 
  a 
  few 
  instances: 
  Among 
  the 
  shells 
  tonged 
  up 
  were 
  found 
  attached 
  

   small 
  shells 
  of 
  1^ 
  years 
  growth, 
  which 
  had 
  died 
  and 
  were 
  filled 
  with 
  

   mud. 
  Where 
  the 
  old 
  shells 
  were 
  taken 
  up 
  the 
  mud 
  had 
  a 
  disag'reeable 
  

   odor 
  of 
  tar 
  gas, 
  or 
  something 
  resembling 
  it, 
  which 
  may 
  have 
  caused 
  

   the 
  death 
  of 
  the 
  oysters. 
  The 
  thickness 
  of 
  the 
  bed 
  was 
  1 
  foot, 
  with 
  

   soft 
  sand 
  uudernea.th. 
  The 
  full-grown 
  oysters 
  are 
  of 
  good 
  flavor 
  and 
  

   in 
  good 
  condition. 
  They 
  are 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  beds 
  about 
  8 
  to 
  the 
  square 
  

   yard. 
  The 
  young 
  growth 
  was 
  plentiful, 
  there 
  being 
  about 
  half 
  a 
  bushel 
  

   to 
  4 
  square 
  yards. 
  

  

  The 
  area 
  of 
  scattered 
  growth 
  has 
  a 
  bottom 
  of 
  uniform 
  depth, 
  aver- 
  

   aging 
  about 
  7^ 
  feet 
  at 
  low 
  water. 
  The 
  area 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  old 
  shells 
  

   imbedded 
  in 
  the 
  sand, 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  young 
  oy.sters 
  are 
  attached. 
  Theie 
  

   are 
  some 
  full-grown 
  oysters, 
  but 
  most 
  of 
  them 
  are 
  of 
  medium 
  and 
  small 
  

   size. 
  They 
  are 
  in 
  bunches, 
  with 
  small 
  oysters 
  and 
  spat 
  attached, 
  and 
  

   all 
  are 
  covered 
  with 
  barnacles 
  and 
  mussels. 
  Of 
  the 
  small 
  oysters 
  

   tliere 
  are 
  about 
  3 
  bunches 
  to 
  a 
  square 
  yard, 
  the 
  bunches 
  varying 
  in 
  the 
  

   number 
  of 
  oysters 
  in 
  each. 
  As 
  the 
  bottom 
  all 
  along 
  the 
  western 
  and 
  

   southern 
  edges 
  of 
  this 
  area 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  St. 
  Vincent 
  Bar 
  is 
  suitable 
  for 
  

   oyster 
  growth, 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  reason 
  why 
  the 
  bed 
  should 
  not 
  expand, 
  in 
  

   time, 
  to 
  a 
  much 
  greater 
  size. 
  It 
  is 
  fair 
  to 
  suppose 
  that 
  if 
  the 
  beds 
  are 
  

   not 
  worked 
  for 
  two 
  years 
  they 
  will 
  improve 
  to 
  such 
  an 
  extent 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  

   again 
  in 
  condition 
  for 
  harvesting. 
  

  

  (h/Hter 
  reef 
  northtcest 
  of 
  Soath 
  Liimp. 
  — 
  A 
  long, 
  narrow 
  oyster 
  reef 
  is 
  

   found 
  three-fourths 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  northwest 
  of 
  South 
  Lump, 
  and 
  between 
  

   it 
  and 
  Green 
  Point. 
  The 
  whole 
  reef 
  contains 
  5 
  acres 
  of 
  dense 
  groM'th 
  

   and 
  19 
  square 
  acres 
  of 
  scattered 
  growth, 
  and 
  extends 
  in 
  a 
  northeast- 
  

   erly 
  and 
  southwesterly 
  direction 
  for 
  three-fourths 
  of 
  a 
  mile, 
  being 
  quite 
  

   narrow. 
  It 
  has 
  from 
  4i 
  to 
  5 
  feet 
  of 
  water 
  on 
  it 
  at 
  low 
  water, 
  and 
  rises 
  

   abruptly 
  from 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  7 
  feet. 
  The 
  foundation 
  of 
  the 
  bed 
  consists 
  of 
  

   old 
  worn-out 
  shells, 
  on 
  which 
  are 
  found 
  some 
  full-grown 
  single 
  oysters, 
  

   especially 
  on 
  the 
  eastern 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  reef. 
  Young 
  oysters 
  and 
  spat 
  are 
  

   found 
  in 
  considerable 
  abundance 
  all 
  over 
  the 
  reef. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  full- 
  

   grown 
  oysters 
  is 
  4 
  to 
  a 
  square 
  yard, 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  small 
  growth 
  1 
  bushel 
  

  

  