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  It 
  will 
  be 
  noticed 
  that 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  dredging 
  vessels 
  in- 
  

   creases 
  on 
  each 
  succeeding 
  section 
  in 
  Tangier 
  Sound, 
  but 
  that 
  

   the 
  number 
  taken 
  by 
  each 
  sail, 
  and 
  the 
  yield 
  per 
  day, 
  decreases. 
  

   Also 
  that 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  sail 
  in 
  Pocomoke 
  Sound 
  is 
  much 
  

   smaller 
  than 
  in 
  any 
  other 
  section, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  yield 
  per 
  day 
  

   is 
  also 
  much 
  smaller. 
  

  

  The 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  bottom 
  and 
  the 
  depth 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  

   materially 
  influences 
  the 
  yield 
  of 
  the 
  bed, 
  those 
  in 
  shoal 
  water 
  

   with 
  soft 
  bottoms 
  allowing 
  more 
  frequent 
  hauls 
  of 
  the 
  dredges 
  

   than 
  those 
  in 
  deep 
  water 
  or 
  on 
  hard 
  bottoms. 
  But 
  as 
  the 
  

   dredges 
  used 
  in 
  deep 
  water 
  and 
  on 
  hard 
  bottoms 
  are 
  usually 
  

   much 
  heavier, 
  this 
  inequality 
  is 
  overcome 
  to 
  some 
  extent. 
  

  

  Again, 
  the 
  large 
  vessels 
  take 
  a 
  greater 
  proportion 
  of 
  the 
  

   oysters 
  than 
  the 
  small 
  ones, 
  and 
  those 
  large 
  vessels 
  usually 
  

   work 
  on 
  the 
  deep 
  water 
  beds. 
  

  

  Considering 
  the 
  difi'erent 
  sizes 
  of 
  the 
  vessels 
  and 
  the 
  supe- 
  

   riority 
  of 
  the 
  crews 
  of 
  the 
  larger 
  ones, 
  and 
  the 
  heavier 
  dredges 
  

   used 
  by 
  them, 
  I 
  am 
  of 
  the 
  opinion 
  that 
  the 
  disparity 
  between 
  

   the 
  yields 
  of 
  the 
  Upper 
  and 
  Lower 
  Tangier 
  beds 
  is 
  greater 
  

   than 
  it 
  should 
  be. 
  

  

  The 
  beds 
  of 
  the 
  Middle 
  Section 
  are, 
  with 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  

   Piney 
  Island 
  Bar, 
  similar 
  to 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  section 
  ; 
  yet, 
  

   with 
  a 
  larger 
  number 
  of 
  vessels 
  working, 
  the 
  yield 
  of 
  that 
  sec- 
  

   tion 
  is 
  less 
  than 
  the 
  upper. 
  

  

  These 
  facts, 
  I 
  think, 
  show 
  that 
  the 
  beds 
  in 
  Lower 
  Tangier 
  

   Sound 
  are 
  less 
  productive 
  than 
  those 
  ir 
  the 
  upper. 
  

  

  The 
  dredging 
  in 
  Pocomoke 
  Sound 
  was 
  principally 
  on 
  the 
  

   upper 
  beds, 
  and 
  none 
  was 
  done 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  we 
  could 
  ascertain 
  on 
  

   either 
  the 
  Brig 
  or 
  Parker's 
  Rocks. 
  

  

  As 
  the 
  middle 
  and 
  upper 
  beds 
  in 
  this 
  Sound 
  are 
  very 
  similar 
  

   in 
  character 
  of 
  bottom 
  and 
  depth 
  of 
  water 
  to 
  the 
  middle 
  and 
  

   upper 
  beds 
  in 
  Tangier 
  Sound, 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  inferred 
  that 
  the 
  

   yield 
  per 
  duy 
  in 
  Pocomoke 
  would 
  be 
  about 
  the 
  same. 
  On 
  the 
  

   contrary, 
  as 
  shown 
  by 
  the 
  table, 
  it 
  is 
  absurdly 
  small 
  ; 
  and, 
  con- 
  

   sidering 
  its 
  size, 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  astonishing 
  that 
  the 
  beds 
  have 
  been 
  

   to 
  a 
  great 
  extent 
  abandoned. 
  

  

  Taking 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  oysters 
  removed 
  each 
  day, 
  and 
  consid- 
  

   ering, 
  for 
  the 
  reasons 
  give 
  in 
  my 
  previous 
  report 
  (Vol. 
  2 
  — 
  con- 
  

  

  