24 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OF MISSISSIPPI SOUND, ALA. 

 Oyster Growth in Grants Pass, 



Character of oyster growth. 



Area. 



Oysters per acre. 



Estimated content of oysters. 



Under 3 

 inches. 



Over 3 

 inches. 



Seed. Market. 



Total. 



Dense 



Acres. 

 64 

 21 

 42 



Bushels. 



275 



159 



70 



Bushels. 

 359 



112 

 22 



Busfiels. 



17,600 



3,339 



2,940 



Bushels. 



22,976 



2,352 



924 



Bushels. 

 40,576 



Scattering 



5,691 

 3,864 



Depleted 







Total 



127 







23,879 



26,252 



50,131 











About one-half of the area inchided within this bed is covered by 

 a dense growth of market oysters, the eastern half being especially 

 productive. The oysters are larger than most of those produced in 

 this region and of better shape. There are many in the channel, 

 especially south and east of Grants Island, but on account of the 

 deep water, which reaches a maximum of 19 feet, and the strong 

 currents the work is arduous at most times, and most of the tonging 

 is done in depths of from 3 to 5 or 6 feet on the south side of the 

 eastern half of the channel. No boats were observed at work on 

 the north side of the row of dolphins. 



The scattering growth on this bed lies in two patches — one of about 

 13 acres surrounding Grants Island and the other of about half the 

 size between the easternmost two channel marks and continuous with 

 the similar growth on Big Gully bed. The oysters in the latter area are 

 somewhat larger and better than those surrounding Grants Island. 

 The depleted bottom lies at the western end of the bed, between the 

 dense growth and the barren bottom. Both the young and the mar- 

 ket oysters here lie in patches of varying productiveness. 



The following table shows the character of this bed at the several 

 places at which detailed examinations were made: 



Details of Examination of Grants Pass. 



station 



Date of 

 examination. 



Depth 



of 

 v> ater. 



Character of growth 



Oysters caught per 

 square yard. 



Estimated quantity of 

 oysters per acre'. 



No. 



Spat. 



Culls. 



Counts. 



Seed. 



Market. 



Total. 



180 



Nov. 24,1910 

 Dec. 8,1910 

 Dec. 29,1910 



do 



do 



Jan. 6,1911 



do 



do 



do 



Nov. 24,1910 



do 



Dec. 31,1910 

 Jan. 5,1911 

 Dec. 8,1910 



do 



Dec. 29,1910 



do 



do 



Feet. 



7.00 



4.30 



5.00 



4.50 



4.00 



17.00 



13.00 



14.00 



11.00 



6.25 



6.50 



2.00 



13.00 



4.50 



5.30 



5.50 



5.50 



3,00 



Dense ... 



6.7 

 14.5 



7.5 



10.6 



.0 



10.8 



5.0 

 10.0 



2.5 



5.2 

 17.1 

 17.4 



5.4 



13.3 



.0 



3.3 



2.0 

 17.5 



31.1 



14.5 



23.8 



31.8 



46.5 



30.0 



25.0 



51.0 



32.5 



13.2 



5.5 



21.2 



5.9 



6.1 



.0 



.0 



3.3 



4.2 



25.6 



17.0 



17.5 



20.6 



16.5 



23.3 



45.0 



20.0 



16.6 



7.7 



7.1 



5.5 



7.7 



.0 



1.3 



.0 



5.3 



.4 



Bush. 



265 



203 



219 



297 



326 



281 



210 



427 



245 



129 



158 



271 



79 



136 







23 



37 



152 



Bush. 



410 



272 



280 



330 



264 



373 



720 



320 



265 



123 



114 



88 



123 







21 







85 



6 



Bush. 

 675 



299 



.do. . . . 



475 



425 



-do- 



499 



426 

 427 



do 



do 



627 

 590 



525 



. .do 



654 



526 



.do 



930 



528 



.do 



747 



529 



.do. . .. 



510 



178 



vScattering . . . 



252 



179 



-do. 



272 



481 

 527 

 300 

 .301 



do 



do 



Depleted 



. . .do 



359 

 202 



136 

 21 



422 



do 



23 



423 



. ...do 



122 



424 



do 



158 









