OYSTER BOTTOMS OF MISSISSIPPI EAST OP BILOXI. 

 Details of Examination of Back Bay, East Bed. 



21 



Angle 

 No. 



Date of 

 exami- 

 nation. 



Depth 



of 

 water. 



Character of 

 growth. 



Oysters caught per 

 square yard. 



Shells 



per 

 square 

 yard. 



Estimated quantity 

 oysters i)er acre. 



Spat. 



Culls. 



Counts. 



Seed. 



Market. 



Total. 



1189 



1911, 

 Feb. 24 



...do 



...do.... 



...do 



...do 



...do 



...do 



...do 



...do 



Feet. 

 4.0 

 4.5 

 6.0 

 4.5 

 4.0 

 4.0 

 4.2 

 3.8 

 4.3 



Dense 



.0 

 .0 

 .0 

 2.2 

 .0 

 .0 

 .0 

 .0 

 .0 



41.5 



5.5 



1.4 



6.7 



19.5 



45.5 



13.5 



4.0 



2.8 



15.5 



13.3 



17.8 



5.5 



3.0 



4.0 



.5 



.5 



1.1 





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Bush. 



290.5 



38.5 



9.8 



62.3 



136.5 



318.5 



94.5 



28.0 



19.6 



Bush. 



248.0 



212.8 



284.8 



88.0 



48.0 



64.0 



8.0 



8.0 



17.6 



Bush. 



538.5 



1190 



do 



251.3 



1191 

 1188 

 1203 

 1204 



do 



Scattering 



Verj' scattering. . . 

 do 



294.6 

 150.3 

 184,5 

 382.5 



1205 



Depl&ted 



102.5 



1207 

 1208 



do 



do 



36.0 

 37.2 



BACK BAY, WEST BED. 



This bed begins about a quarter of a mile nearly west of the draw 

 in the railroad bridge and stretches along the northern edge of the 

 main channel for a distance of about three-fourths of a mile, its 

 northwestern edge adjoining the boundary stakes of the planted 

 beds. The water varies from less than 3 feet near the eastern end 

 of the bed to about 10 feet at the western edge. Among the beds of 

 Biloxi Bay this is distinguished by the abundance of small oysters. 



The following table summarizes the areas, character of growth, and 

 general condition of the several parts of the bed: 



Oyster Growth in Back Bay, West Bed. 





Area. 



Oysters per acre. 



Estimated content of oysters. 



Character of growth. 



Under 3 

 inches. 



Over 3 

 inches. 



Seed. 



Market. 



Total. 



Dense 



Acres. 



29 



5 



41 



20 



Bushels. 

 279 



35 

 381 



14 



Bushels. 



214 



136 



55 



1 



Bushels. 



8,091 



175 



15,621 



280 



Bushels. 



6,206 



680 



2,265 



20 



Bushels. 

 14, 297 



Scattering 



855 



Very scattering 



17, 876 



Depleted 



300 







Total 



95 







24, 167 



9,161 



33, 328 











The area of dense growth is a narrow strip extending nearly the 

 entire length of the bed and for a considerable part of the distance 

 near its northeast edge, forming a ridge covered by very shallow 

 water. It covers about 29 acres and bears an average per acre of 

 214 bushels of market oysters and 279 bushels of small ones. There 

 are about three small oysters to each one over 3 inches long. The 

 stock is generally of poor shape and quality and badly clustered. 

 The area of scattering growth lies between the eastern edge of the 

 preceding and the margin of the bed. There is a fah quantity of the 

 larger oysters but a dearth of small ones. 



