14 



OYSTER BOTTOMS IN MATAGORDA BAY. 



The absence or presence, both relatively and actually, of oysters 

 i under 3 inches long is entirely disregarded in estimating the 

 density of the beds, and it may therefore happen that an abundant 

 growth of young may be shown on the chart as a scattering or ver} 7 

 scattering area of adults. Such cases may be detected, however, by 

 consulting the text description of the bed in question, or by reference 

 to the following table, which shows the numbers per square yard 

 of oysters of each of three sizes as determined from actual observa- 

 tions and counts on the several beds. 



This table shows also the area in acres of the bed as platted on 

 the chart, the proportion of such area estimated to actually bear 

 oysters of the indicated density, and the estimated total contents 

 in barrels of marketable (3-inch) oysters on each bed. For the latter 

 only an approximate accuracy is claimed, the factors entering into 

 it being somewhat difficult to determine; the size, shape, and char- 

 acter of the oysters, their density, the shape and size of the clusters, 

 together with irregularities in distribution, have to be taken into con- 

 sideration. The estimates in all cases are believed to be conservative, 

 rather under than over the productiveness of the beds. For the pur- 

 pose of this report and specifically in the following table, a barrel of 

 oysters is considered to contain 2 bushels. 



Density of Oyster Growth on Charted Areas. 



Name of bed. 



Observed number of oysters 

 per square yard. 



Area in 

 acres. 



Estimated 

 per cent 

 of area 

 actually 

 bearing 

 oysters. 



Estimated 

 contents 

 in barrels 

 of oysters 

 over 3 in. 

 long. 





Over 3 

 inches. 



3 inches 

 to 1 inch. 



Under 

 1 inch. 



Above Dressing Point 



14 



13 



15 



4 



50 



48 



135 



9 



55 

 182 

 163 

 90 

 67 

 84 



6 

 83 

 24 

 32 



8 

 8 



26 

 3 





395 



228 



477 



90 



13 



23 



10 



37 



2 



5 



12 



80 



36 



32 



113 

 142 

 139 

 538 



15 



30 



40 



75 



80 



30 



60 



20 



100 



100 



90 



90 



• 100 



100 



80 



100 



30 



30 



5,000 



Live Oak Bay 



1 

 4 

 1 



5,250 



Dressing Point Shoals 



26, 000 



Creek Patches 



1,000 



Eleven-mile Lumps a 



4,700 



East Point Bed. 



10 



63 



2 



51 



52 



176 



112 



60 



47 



33 



36 



9 



21 





6,400 



Middle Patches 



15 



12, 000 



Idlebach Flats 



1,000 



Grass Lump 



10 

 29 

 34 



147 

 41 

 51 



16 



30 



5 



9 



1,000 



Boggv Lump 



11, 000 



Middle Lump 



8,500 



Raymond Landing Shoals 



45, 000 



Boiler Bayou Reef 



25, 000 



Spring Bayou Reefs 



30, 000 



Dog Island Reef: 



North end 



2,-200 



East side 



145, 000 



Near Tiger Island b 



13, 000 



West side 



18,000 





















Forked Bavou Reef 



"si" 



106 



28 



42 

 16 



1 



35 



2 



20 



57 

 51 



24 

 34 



10 



13 

 16 



4 

 2 



4 



25 

 120 



23 

 70 



56 



87 



176 



175 



100 



100 



60 



100 

 50 



100 



75 

 100 



1,500 



Shell Island Reef: 



East side 



35, 000 



West side 



7,500 



Mad Island Reef: 



East side 



9,000 



West side 



2,500 



Half Moon Reef: 



North end c 



1,000 



East side 



8 



3 



25, 000 



South end c . . 



4,400 



West sideo 





















Total 









3,108 





445,900 







1 









a Not examined in detail. b Partially fished out. c Thoroughly fished out. 



