6 EIGHTH REPORT OF THE SHELL FISH COMMISSIONERS 
acres. Upon these applications, and others made previously, 41 
designations have been granted, covering 1,255,1,5, acres; for 
which $1,255.16 have been paid into the State Treasury. Thirty- 
seven applications are now pending; for 9 of which deeds have 
been prepared ready for delivery, which cover 419.6acres. ‘The re- 
maining 28 applications will be acted upon as soon as the requisite 
information is obtained respecting their location and description. 
The whole number of acres now under Commissioners’ juris- 
diction is as follows: 
Total area granted to October 1, 1887, - = - = 85,506.80 acres. 
Total area granted since October 1, 1887, . - - : 1,255.16 o 
Total area granted, - - - . - - - S07 O10 Oman 
Area of ground surrendered to October 1, 1887, =, (OgE(Sti a5 
Area of ground surrendered since October I, 1887, - 2,025. 
Deduct, - - - - - - - - 8,594.4 8,594.40 me 
Total of ground now held by cultivators, - = - 78, 167558, eS 
Surrender papers have been prepared for 1,639 acres more; and 
80 acres have been returned to the State under the law passed at 
the last session of the Legislature, which provides for surrender, 
without expense to the State, of such grounds as were designated 
by Town Committees. 
It is believed that most of the grounds which have proved un- 
suitable for the cultivation of oysters have been surrendered; and 
in future the expense which may result to the State under the 
operation of this law must be small. 
ENGINEERING. 
The engineering work has been continued under the direction 
of Mr. Bogart, who has occasionally been assisted by Mr. George 
H. Spall. His time has been divided between office work and 
field work. His work in the office has been to answer inquiries 
respecting the boundaries and locations of lots; to examine the 
neighborhood of grounds applied for; to prepare mathematical 
descriptions thereof to be embodied in the designations; to keep 
the office maps and buoy books up with the progress of the work; 
to respond to all calls for information touching the maps; and 
generally to aid the Commissioners in the examination of disputed 
boundaries and other points in reference to the oyster grounds. 
His outside work has been to oversee and keep in repair the 
