﻿200. 
  

  

  and 
  the 
  masters 
  of 
  the 
  dredging 
  vessels 
  were 
  also 
  requested 
  

   to 
  note 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  dredgers 
  working 
  in 
  their 
  vicinity, 
  

   which 
  they 
  in 
  many 
  cases 
  very 
  obligingly 
  did. 
  

  

  As 
  even 
  with 
  this 
  data^ 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  working 
  days 
  given 
  

   on 
  each 
  bed 
  is 
  very 
  small, 
  and 
  because 
  no 
  bed 
  is 
  dredged 
  con- 
  

   tinuously 
  during 
  the 
  season, 
  but 
  at 
  intervals, 
  I 
  have 
  divided 
  

   the 
  sections 
  in 
  a 
  similar 
  manner 
  to 
  that 
  described 
  in 
  my 
  pre- 
  

   vious 
  report. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  section 
  includes 
  the 
  beds 
  north 
  of 
  Piney 
  Island 
  

   Bar 
  and 
  the 
  Muscle 
  Hole. 
  

  

  The 
  second 
  section, 
  those 
  from 
  the 
  Muscle 
  Hole 
  and 
  Piney 
  

   Island 
  Bar 
  to 
  the 
  Great 
  Pock. 
  

  

  The 
  third 
  section 
  the 
  remaining 
  beds 
  in 
  Tangier 
  Sound, 
  and 
  

   the 
  fourth 
  section 
  all 
  the 
  Pocomoke 
  Beds. 
  

  

  By 
  this 
  arrangement 
  duplication 
  of 
  the 
  vessels 
  counted 
  is 
  

   prevented, 
  and 
  the 
  average 
  number 
  of 
  vessels 
  working 
  each 
  

   day 
  is 
  more 
  nearly 
  a 
  correct 
  estimate. 
  

  

  The 
  vessels 
  dredging 
  on 
  these 
  several 
  sections, 
  as 
  counted 
  

   by 
  ourselves 
  and 
  by 
  their 
  masters, 
  have 
  been 
  assembled; 
  the 
  

   number 
  of 
  oysters 
  assigned 
  to 
  each 
  class 
  of 
  vessel 
  working 
  in 
  

   the 
  section 
  has 
  then 
  been 
  multiplied 
  by 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  vessels 
  

   of 
  each 
  class, 
  and 
  the 
  total 
  number 
  of 
  oysters 
  taken 
  oft' 
  the 
  

   beds 
  in 
  each 
  section 
  thus 
  obtained. 
  

  

  The 
  number 
  of 
  oysters 
  taken 
  by 
  any 
  vessel 
  in 
  a 
  day 
  varies 
  

   greatly, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  weather 
  principally, 
  but 
  in 
  assigning 
  the 
  

   quantity 
  on 
  each 
  day, 
  the 
  number 
  brought 
  in 
  by 
  vessels 
  of 
  

   the 
  same 
  class, 
  as 
  shown 
  by 
  "Record 
  of 
  Statistics," 
  has 
  been 
  

   used, 
  as 
  a 
  more 
  correct 
  estimate 
  is 
  thus 
  assured 
  than 
  would 
  be 
  

   given 
  b}' 
  using 
  the 
  average 
  for 
  the 
  whole 
  season. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  table 
  has 
  been 
  compiled 
  from 
  the 
  calcula- 
  

   tions, 
  and 
  shows 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  oysters 
  taken 
  from 
  each 
  section 
  

   in 
  a 
  specified 
  number 
  of 
  days, 
  and 
  supposing 
  the 
  observations 
  

   to 
  have 
  extended 
  over 
  a 
  sufficient 
  period, 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  oys- 
  

   ters 
  has 
  been 
  divided 
  by 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  days, 
  and 
  the 
  average 
  

   number 
  removed 
  in 
  each 
  day 
  thus 
  obtained 
  : 
  

  

  