﻿OYSTER 
  REGIONS 
  OF 
  Al'ALACHICOLA 
  BAY, 
  ETC. 
  217 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  aliiK)St 
  certiiin 
  that 
  if 
  tlic 
  <|iiesti()ii 
  ol' 
  oyster 
  cultiviitioii 
  were 
  

   taken 
  up 
  in 
  tlie 
  i)ioi)er 
  way 
  by 
  the 
  people 
  of 
  A[)Hlachicola 
  and 
  vicinity, 
  

   excellent 
  results 
  would 
  be 
  obtained. 
  No 
  better 
  flavored 
  or 
  condi- 
  

   tioned 
  oysters 
  can 
  be 
  found 
  anywliere 
  than 
  those 
  at 
  Cat 
  Point 
  Bar 
  and 
  

   at 
  Silva's 
  Bar, 
  and 
  by 
  usinj^f 
  the 
  seed 
  from 
  these 
  bars 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  safely 
  

   l)ropli«sied 
  that 
  oysters 
  of 
  the 
  cultivated 
  bed 
  will 
  excel 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  

   natural 
  beds. 
  There 
  is 
  little 
  doubt 
  that 
  if 
  the 
  oysters 
  on 
  East 
  Hole 
  

   Bar, 
  where 
  the 
  vegetable; 
  jiTowth 
  renders 
  them 
  unfit 
  for 
  eanninj;' 
  j»ur- 
  

   poses, 
  were 
  transi)lanted 
  to 
  otlier 
  localities, 
  they 
  would 
  los(; 
  fhe 
  peculiar 
  

   characteristics 
  so 
  injurious 
  to 
  them, 
  and 
  become, 
  like 
  tlu'. 
  (Jnt 
  I'oint 
  

   oysters, 
  excellent 
  in 
  (juality. 
  

  

  SPAWNING 
  SEASON 
  AND 
  SPAWNING 
  HABITS. 
  

  

  The 
  spawning 
  season, 
  as 
  near 
  as 
  may 
  b«! 
  ascertained, 
  extends 
  fi-om 
  

   April 
  15 
  to 
  July 
  15, 
  but 
  these 
  limits 
  of 
  time 
  vary 
  with 
  the 
  tempeiaturc; 
  

   to 
  a 
  considerable 
  degree. 
  However, 
  it 
  is 
  probable 
  that 
  in 
  these 
  waters 
  

   the 
  oysters 
  spawn, 
  to 
  a 
  greater 
  or 
  less 
  degree, 
  all 
  the 
  yeai- 
  jiround. 
  This 
  

   is 
  borne 
  out 
  by 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  during 
  the 
  season 
  of 
  the 
  survey 
  spat 
  was 
  

   noticed 
  from 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  the 
  work 
  in 
  November 
  to 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  

   ^Nlarch, 
  and 
  oysters 
  in 
  all 
  stages 
  of 
  growth 
  were 
  observed. 
  It 
  is 
  con- 
  

   sidered 
  that 
  the 
  oysters 
  reach 
  a 
  spawning 
  age 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of. 
  three 
  or 
  

   four 
  years, 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  temjierature. 
  Depth 
  of 
  water 
  of 
  course 
  

   affects 
  the 
  temperature, 
  and 
  the 
  current 
  the 
  food 
  supply 
  of 
  tlu; 
  mother 
  

   oyster. 
  If 
  freshets 
  occur 
  during 
  the 
  spawning 
  season 
  the 
  mud 
  or 
  silt 
  

   kills 
  the 
  spat. 
  

  

  VALUE 
  OF 
  THE 
  SURVEY 
  HYDROGRAPHICALLY. 
  

  

  As 
  was 
  pointed 
  out 
  in 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  the 
  rei)ort, 
  the 
  cluirt 
  may 
  be 
  

   used 
  with 
  confidence, 
  as 
  the 
  configuration 
  of 
  the 
  bottom 
  is 
  shown 
  with 
  

   as 
  much 
  accuracy 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  Coast 
  Survey 
  charts. 
  The 
  curves 
  o 
  (d 
  i 
  I 
  

   ferent 
  depths 
  are 
  all 
  delineated, 
  and 
  tlu; 
  characteristic 
  soundings 
  shown 
  

   with 
  sufhcient 
  frequency. 
  No 
  liydrographi<; 
  survey 
  of 
  this 
  locality 
  ha<l 
  

   been 
  made 
  for 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  years, 
  and 
  a 
  good 
  many 
  changes 
  in 
  the 
  bot- 
  

   tom 
  had 
  occurred, 
  especially 
  about 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  Apalachicola 
  Kiver. 
  

   Since 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  original 
  survey 
  twonewchaiinels 
  had 
  been 
  dredged, 
  

   which 
  are 
  shown 
  on 
  the 
  chart, 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  important 
  hydrogiaphi(;ally 
  

   that 
  these 
  channels 
  should 
  be 
  located 
  and 
  their 
  depth 
  of 
  water 
  shown. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  important 
  development 
  is 
  the 
  discovery 
  of 
  a 
  new 
  channel 
  

   in 
  the 
  thoroughfare 
  lietween 
  Apalac]ii(;ola 
  and 
  Cairabelle. 
  The 
  (dian- 
  

   nel 
  gives 
  more 
  water 
  than 
  the 
  one 
  formerly 
  used, 
  and 
  should 
  be 
  buoy<'d. 
  

   This 
  subject 
  has 
  already 
  been 
  alluded 
  to. 
  The 
  chart 
  shows 
  an 
  increased 
  

   depth 
  and 
  a 
  decided 
  hydrographic 
  change 
  at 
  Indian 
  Pass, 
  and 
  it 
  seems 
  

   likely 
  that 
  this 
  pass 
  will 
  become 
  of 
  importance 
  when 
  the 
  increased 
  

   dei)th 
  is 
  generally 
  known. 
  At 
  present 
  a 
  vessel 
  of 
  the 
  P^isli 
  Jhnrk's 
  

   draft, 
  8 
  feet, 
  can 
  enter 
  the 
  pass. 
  

  

  Indian 
  Lagoon, 
  although 
  of 
  not 
  much 
  importance, 
  was 
  surveyed 
  for 
  

   the 
  first 
  time. 
  

  

  