﻿OYSTER 
  REGIONS 
  OF 
  APALACHICOLA 
  BAY, 
  ETC. 
  207 
  

  

  Over 
  the 
  old 
  shells 
  composing 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  bed 
  is 
  found 
  a 
  

   scattering 
  growth 
  of 
  oysters, 
  mostly 
  small 
  in 
  size 
  and 
  unevenly 
  dis- 
  

   tributed, 
  those 
  in 
  the 
  southern 
  portion 
  being 
  more 
  i)lentiful 
  and 
  of 
  

   better 
  size 
  and 
  quality 
  than 
  those 
  found 
  at 
  the 
  northern 
  part. 
  At 
  the 
  

   southern 
  portion 
  the 
  oysters 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  bunches 
  of 
  fi^-om 
  two 
  to 
  five, 
  

   with 
  a 
  good 
  growth 
  of 
  young 
  oysters 
  indifferent 
  stages 
  of 
  development 
  

   attached. 
  The 
  oysters 
  here 
  are 
  found 
  about 
  nine 
  to 
  the 
  square 
  yard. 
  

   Some 
  grass 
  was 
  found 
  growing 
  on 
  them 
  and 
  a 
  few 
  black 
  crabs 
  were 
  

   noticed. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  middle 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  reef 
  the 
  oysters 
  occur 
  in 
  bunches 
  of 
  

   from 
  three 
  to 
  eight, 
  but 
  fewer 
  bunches 
  are 
  found, 
  the 
  average 
  number 
  

   of 
  oysters 
  being 
  three 
  to 
  the 
  square 
  yard. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  north 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  reef 
  the 
  oysters 
  are 
  still 
  more 
  scattering. 
  

   The 
  oysters 
  on 
  the 
  middle 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  reef 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  about 
  !3 
  years 
  

   old. 
  Some 
  spat 
  was 
  noticed 
  on 
  the 
  shells 
  at 
  the 
  northern 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   reef. 
  The 
  oysters 
  at 
  the 
  north 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  reef 
  were 
  of 
  i)oor 
  quality 
  

   comi^ared 
  with 
  those 
  at 
  the 
  southern 
  end. 
  This 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  exj)ected 
  from 
  

   a 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  densities 
  shown 
  on 
  the 
  map. 
  

  

  Norman's 
  Bar 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  lately 
  worked 
  to 
  any 
  extent, 
  as 
  it 
  had 
  

   previously 
  been 
  overworked. 
  If 
  the 
  bar 
  is 
  undisturbed 
  for 
  a 
  year 
  or 
  

   two 
  it 
  can 
  then 
  be 
  worked 
  profitably; 
  the 
  bed 
  can 
  undoubtedly 
  be 
  kept 
  

   in 
  a 
  ijroductive 
  condition 
  if 
  worked 
  moderately 
  and 
  the 
  undersized 
  

   oysters 
  culled 
  and 
  thrown 
  over. 
  

  

  The 
  North 
  Lumps. 
  — 
  There 
  are 
  three 
  small 
  detached 
  beds 
  of 
  oysters 
  

   lying 
  nearly 
  in 
  line 
  between 
  Godley 
  Blufi' 
  and 
  the 
  north 
  end 
  of 
  Norman's 
  

   Bar. 
  The 
  total 
  area 
  of 
  these 
  beds 
  is 
  10 
  acres. 
  They 
  lie 
  in 
  about 
  4 
  to 
  

   5 
  feet 
  of 
  water, 
  and 
  the 
  eastern, 
  or 
  inshore 
  one, 
  has 
  but 
  2 
  feet 
  on 
  it 
  

   at 
  low 
  water. 
  The 
  middle 
  one 
  has 
  2^ 
  feet 
  on 
  it, 
  and 
  the 
  western 
  one 
  

   4^ 
  feet 
  at 
  low 
  water; 
  the 
  latter 
  lies 
  in 
  about 
  5 
  feet 
  of 
  water. 
  

  

  The 
  oysters 
  on 
  the 
  beds 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  quite 
  dense 
  growth, 
  there 
  being 
  

   thirty 
  to 
  the 
  square 
  yard; 
  they 
  are 
  of 
  good 
  size 
  and 
  fatness, 
  but, 
  

   owing 
  to 
  the 
  freshness 
  of 
  the 
  water, 
  have 
  the 
  XDecufiar 
  insipid 
  taste 
  

   noticeable 
  with 
  oysters 
  growing 
  in 
  water 
  of 
  low 
  deosity. 
  The 
  thickness 
  

   of 
  the 
  crust 
  is 
  about 
  3 
  feet. 
  

  

  Oyster 
  beds 
  westivard 
  of 
  Normmi's 
  Bar. 
  — 
  Two 
  small 
  beds 
  lie 
  one- 
  

   fourth 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  to 
  the 
  westward 
  of 
  the 
  north 
  end 
  of 
  Norman's 
  Bar. 
  

   The 
  northern 
  one 
  of 
  these 
  two 
  beds 
  is 
  half 
  a 
  mile 
  long 
  and 
  very 
  narrow; 
  

   it 
  lies 
  nearly 
  half 
  a 
  mile 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  other, 
  and 
  contains 
  7 
  acres. 
  The 
  

   southern 
  one 
  is 
  circular 
  in 
  shape 
  and 
  contains 
  about 
  4 
  acres. 
  The 
  least 
  

   depth 
  of 
  water 
  on 
  these 
  beds 
  is 
  3J 
  feet 
  at 
  low 
  water. 
  The 
  oysters 
  are 
  

   in 
  bunches 
  of 
  from 
  three 
  to 
  four. 
  They 
  are 
  of 
  medium 
  size, 
  with 
  young 
  

   growth 
  and 
  sj^at 
  attached, 
  and, 
  as 
  usual, 
  covered 
  with 
  barnacles 
  and 
  

   mussels. 
  They 
  are 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  bottom 
  about 
  fifteen 
  to 
  a 
  square 
  yard. 
  

   As 
  may 
  be 
  expected 
  from 
  their 
  location, 
  they 
  are 
  not 
  of 
  good 
  flavor. 
  

  

  Beds 
  to 
  northirard 
  of 
  buoy 
  No. 
  8. 
  — 
  Two 
  long, 
  narrow 
  beds 
  extend 
  to 
  

   the 
  northward 
  from 
  buoy 
  No. 
  8 
  (present 
  location), 
  and 
  lie 
  on 
  a 
  lino 
  

  

  