﻿210 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  Kortli 
  Limips. 
  It 
  extends 
  east 
  and 
  west 
  for 
  1 
  mile 
  and 
  lias 
  a 
  width 
  

   of 
  three-eighths 
  of 
  a 
  mile. 
  This 
  latter 
  area 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  considered 
  as 
  a 
  

   very 
  advantageous 
  place 
  for 
  cultivating, 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  low 
  density. 
  

  

  ST. 
  GEORGE 
  SOUND. 
  

  

  The 
  only 
  oyster 
  beds 
  of 
  any 
  importance 
  in 
  St. 
  George 
  Sound, 
  at 
  

   present, 
  are 
  the 
  large 
  beds 
  at 
  the 
  west 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  sound. 
  There 
  are 
  

   other 
  beds 
  to 
  the 
  eastward 
  of 
  the 
  limits 
  of 
  the 
  survey, 
  and 
  some 
  of 
  

   them 
  were 
  formerly 
  productive, 
  but 
  at 
  present 
  none 
  are 
  worked. 
  It 
  is 
  

   to 
  be 
  regretted 
  that 
  lack 
  of 
  time 
  prevented 
  including 
  these 
  few 
  beds 
  in 
  

   the 
  survey. 
  The 
  area 
  from 
  Cat 
  Point 
  southeast 
  to 
  St. 
  George 
  Island, 
  

   for 
  an 
  average 
  width 
  of 
  nearly 
  three-fourths 
  of 
  a 
  mile, 
  forms 
  one 
  large, 
  

   continuous 
  oyster 
  bed, 
  although 
  different 
  names 
  are 
  given 
  to 
  different 
  

   parts 
  of 
  the 
  area. 
  It 
  is 
  here 
  that 
  the 
  oyster 
  fleet, 
  consisting 
  of 
  about 
  

   32 
  vessels, 
  has 
  recently 
  been 
  concentrated, 
  and 
  during 
  the 
  season 
  of 
  

   the 
  survey 
  practically 
  all 
  the 
  oysters 
  brought 
  into 
  Apalachicola 
  were 
  

   obtained 
  on 
  these 
  beds. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  is 
  a 
  description 
  of 
  these 
  beds 
  in 
  detail: 
  

  

  Gat 
  Point 
  Bar. 
  — 
  This 
  bed 
  extends 
  from 
  Cat 
  Point 
  southward 
  for 
  about 
  

   li 
  miles, 
  and 
  is 
  nearly 
  three-fourths 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  wide, 
  except 
  at 
  its 
  north- 
  

   ern 
  part. 
  It 
  adjoins 
  Platform 
  Bar 
  to 
  the 
  southeast, 
  and 
  is 
  separated 
  

   from 
  Bulkhead 
  Bar 
  by 
  the 
  dredged 
  cut. 
  It 
  contains 
  485 
  acres 
  of 
  dense 
  

   growth 
  of 
  oysters, 
  and 
  77 
  acres 
  of 
  scattered 
  growth 
  between 
  the 
  shore 
  

   and 
  denser 
  growth. 
  It 
  has 
  a 
  least 
  depth 
  of 
  water 
  of 
  2 
  feet, 
  while 
  the 
  

   ruling 
  depth 
  is 
  3i 
  feet. 
  

  

  The 
  oysters 
  of 
  this 
  bed, 
  especially 
  those 
  found 
  near 
  the 
  3-foot 
  cur>^ 
  

   off 
  Cat 
  Point, 
  are 
  of 
  the 
  very 
  finest 
  (piality, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  probable 
  thaVno 
  

   better 
  flavored 
  oysters 
  can 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  any 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  country. 
  They 
  

   are 
  not 
  only 
  excej)tionally 
  good 
  in 
  flavor, 
  but 
  are 
  large 
  and 
  f 
  .t. 
  At 
  

   this 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  reef 
  the 
  oysters 
  are 
  found 
  singly 
  and 
  in 
  bunchf 
  5 
  of 
  from 
  

   two 
  to 
  five. 
  The 
  number 
  to 
  the 
  square 
  yard 
  is 
  19. 
  Numerous 
  young 
  

   are 
  found 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  shells, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  a 
  few 
  barnacles 
  and 
  mussels. 
  

   No 
  drills, 
  conchs, 
  or 
  other 
  enemies 
  could 
  be 
  discovered, 
  and 
  there 
  was 
  

   no 
  vegetable 
  growth 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  oysters. 
  The 
  probe 
  showed 
  that 
  the 
  

   crust 
  of 
  the 
  bed 
  was 
  about 
  1 
  foot 
  thick, 
  with 
  hard 
  sand 
  underneath. 
  

  

  About 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  bed 
  the 
  oysters 
  are 
  even 
  more 
  plentiful, 
  

   there 
  being 
  as 
  many 
  as 
  60 
  to 
  the 
  square 
  yard. 
  There 
  was 
  found 
  a 
  fine 
  

   growth 
  of 
  young 
  oysters 
  attached, 
  aggregating 
  four 
  to 
  five 
  young 
  on 
  

   each 
  bunch. 
  All 
  over 
  the 
  bed 
  old 
  worn-out 
  shells 
  are 
  found, 
  and 
  mus- 
  

   sels 
  and 
  barnacles 
  in 
  quantities, 
  but 
  no 
  vegetable 
  growth. 
  At 
  the 
  

   southern 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  bed 
  observations 
  showed 
  the 
  oysters 
  to 
  be 
  quite 
  

   as 
  numerous 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  middle 
  part, 
  and 
  of 
  good 
  size 
  and 
  excellent 
  

   quality. 
  Everywhere 
  is 
  a 
  numerous 
  growth 
  of 
  young, 
  but 
  no 
  spat 
  was 
  

   noticed. 
  The 
  bed 
  seems 
  at 
  all 
  places 
  to 
  have 
  the 
  same 
  thickness 
  of 
  

   crust. 
  The 
  scattered 
  growth 
  extends 
  from 
  the 
  shore 
  out 
  to 
  the 
  dense 
  

   growth. 
  The 
  oysters 
  here 
  are 
  not 
  of 
  as 
  good 
  quality 
  as 
  those 
  farther 
  

  

  