﻿106 
  

  

  Lave 
  been 
  drawn 
  tliroiigh 
  those 
  positions 
  where 
  the 
  propor- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  oysters 
  to 
  the 
  square 
  yard 
  was 
  above 
  the 
  average. 
  

  

  In 
  designating 
  the 
  oysters, 
  the 
  term 
  " 
  young 
  growth 
  " 
  has 
  

   been 
  applied 
  to 
  the 
  small 
  oysters 
  that 
  were 
  evidently 
  but 
  one 
  

   year 
  or 
  one 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  years 
  old. 
  The 
  term 
  " 
  young 
  " 
  has 
  

   been 
  applied 
  to 
  small 
  oysters 
  of 
  the 
  last 
  brood 
  that 
  were 
  found 
  

   clinging 
  to 
  the 
  mature 
  and 
  old 
  shells 
  and 
  were, 
  on 
  an 
  aver- 
  

   age, 
  about 
  one-half 
  or 
  three 
  quarters 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  in 
  length, 
  or 
  

   under. 
  

  

  Tangier 
  Sound 
  extends 
  north 
  and 
  south, 
  in 
  round 
  numbers, 
  

   thirty-six 
  miles, 
  from 
  Watts' 
  Island 
  to 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  Fishing 
  

   Bay 
  and 
  eacii 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  channel 
  for 
  thirty-two 
  miles 
  is 
  lined 
  

   with 
  oyster 
  beds 
  of 
  greater 
  or 
  less 
  extent. 
  These 
  beds 
  are 
  

   continued, 
  though 
  the 
  oysters 
  are 
  generally 
  scattered, 
  through 
  

   Kedge's, 
  Hooper's 
  and 
  Holland 
  Straits 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  shoal 
  be- 
  

   tween 
  Smith's 
  and 
  Tangier 
  Islands. 
  On 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  

   -channels 
  into 
  the 
  Nanticoke, 
  Manokin 
  and 
  Big 
  Annemessex 
  

   Rivers, 
  beds 
  are 
  found 
  and 
  to 
  a 
  less 
  extent 
  in 
  the 
  Wicomico 
  

   and 
  Little 
  Annemessex 
  Kivers. 
  

  

  By 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  chart, 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  that 
  the 
  only 
  parts 
  

   of 
  the 
  Sound 
  unoccupied 
  by 
  oysters 
  are 
  a 
  short 
  space, 
  one 
  

   mile 
  in 
  length, 
  off' 
  Deil's 
  Island 
  ; 
  a 
  space 
  of 
  two 
  miles 
  north 
  

   of 
  Jane's 
  Island 
  Light 
  and 
  between 
  the 
  Big 
  and 
  Little 
  Anne- 
  

   messex 
  Rivers 
  and 
  a 
  stretch 
  of 
  two 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  miles 
  on 
  the 
  

   western 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  Sound 
  off 
  Reach 
  Hammock 
  and 
  the 
  

   northern 
  part 
  of 
  Tangier 
  Island. 
  

  

  With 
  these 
  exceptions, 
  the 
  oysters 
  are 
  to 
  all 
  intents, 
  con- 
  

   tinuous 
  and 
  the 
  total 
  area 
  covered 
  by 
  them 
  amounts 
  to 
  6'.), 
  127 
  

   square 
  nautical 
  miles. 
  

  

  The 
  area 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  proper 
  or 
  that 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  total 
  area 
  

   on 
  which 
  the 
  proportion 
  of 
  oysters 
  to 
  the 
  square 
  yard 
  was 
  at 
  

   least 
  0.1, 
  is 
  17,976 
  square 
  nautical 
  miles. 
  

  

  Whenever 
  the 
  names 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  could 
  be 
  ascertained 
  they 
  

   have 
  been 
  given 
  to 
  them 
  but 
  in 
  some 
  cases 
  they 
  could 
  not 
  be 
  

   and 
  I 
  have 
  included 
  them 
  under 
  general 
  heads. 
  

  

  Taking 
  them 
  from 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  Fishing 
  Bay 
  in 
  regular 
  or- 
  

   •der, 
  they 
  are 
  twenty-eight' 
  in 
  number. 
  

  

  