﻿174 
  

  

  2d 
  classes 
  represent 
  the 
  mature 
  oysters. 
  If, 
  then, 
  we 
  com- 
  

   pare 
  tlie 
  mature 
  with 
  the 
  young, 
  we 
  have 
  at 
  once 
  a 
  sure 
  indi- 
  

   cation 
  of 
  the 
  state 
  of 
  the 
  bed 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  its 
  fecundity 
  is 
  con-J 
  

   cerned. 
  

  

  In 
  order 
  that 
  the 
  areas 
  under 
  consideration 
  might 
  be 
  as 
  

   similar 
  as 
  possible 
  to 
  the 
  extensive 
  beds 
  inside 
  the 
  Sounds, 
  I 
  

   have 
  only 
  used 
  for 
  the 
  following 
  table 
  the 
  three 
  largest 
  sec- 
  

   tions 
  — 
  Nos. 
  1, 
  2 
  and 
  4: 
  

  

  DREDGING 
  RESULTS. 
  CHESAPEAKE 
  BAY. 
  Table 
  I. 
  

  

  Accepting 
  this 
  mean 
  ratio 
  of 
  all 
  young 
  growth 
  to 
  mature 
  

   oysters, 
  upon 
  comparatively 
  unworked 
  beds, 
  as 
  the 
  standard, 
  

   it 
  is 
  inferred 
  that 
  it 
  should 
  not 
  fall 
  below 
  1.5 
  or 
  1.6. 
  

  

  FECUNDITY 
  OF 
  THE 
  BEDS 
  IN 
  THE 
  SOUNDS. 
  

  

  In 
  order 
  to 
  ascertain 
  whether 
  the 
  fecundity 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  in 
  

   the 
  Sounds 
  was 
  the 
  same 
  as 
  that 
  of 
  those 
  outside 
  in 
  the 
  Bay, 
  

   a 
  very 
  thorough 
  dredging 
  was 
  continued 
  during 
  the 
  summer 
  

   and 
  autumn, 
  and 
  the 
  oysters 
  classified 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  plan 
  

   already 
  described. 
  

  

  The 
  dredging 
  lines 
  are 
  shown 
  on 
  the 
  sketches 
  accompany- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  report, 
  and 
  were 
  run 
  over 
  all 
  beds 
  where 
  it 
  was 
  possi- 
  

   ble 
  to 
  carry 
  the 
  vessel. 
  

  

  The 
  results 
  are 
  assembled 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  table: 
  

  

  