CONCLUSIONS. 17 



foundation for chart-making surveys, mapping of the adjacent land regions, river and 

 harbor improvements, etc. (XXXIV; XLIV, pp. 36-171; XLVIII, pp. 59-68.) 1 



From the State or local standpoint the desirable requirements of an oyster 

 survey, in addition to those just stated, appear to be: 



First. The well-defined representation on published charts, in a more or less 

 arbitrary form, of the so-called "natural oyster bars" which are to be reserved for 

 the use of the public by reason of ancient customs, public sentiment, or the laws 

 of the State in which they are located. (LIV.) 1 And a similar well-defined repre- 

 sentation on published charts of the boundaries of the bottoms leased from the State 

 by private individuals for the purpose of oyster culture. (XLVIII, map.) 1 



Second. A more detail, technical, and legal description of the boundaries of these 

 public natural oyster bars (XLIV, pp. 172-242) 1 and private leased oyster bottoms 

 (XLVIII, pp. 69-108) 1 than can be secured by their representation on the charts, 

 in order that the State can furnish an easily defined and incontestible title to those 

 oyster bottoms it may desire to lease for tbe purposes of revenue or for the encour- 

 agement of oyster culture. 



Third. The representation of the information obtained by the oyster survey in 

 such a manner, both on charts and in publications, as will best combat the obstacles 

 due to ignorance, prejudice, and politics, which are always to be found, to a greater 

 or less extent, in every locality where oyster culture is in progress or being contem- 

 plated. (VII, XXIX, XXXIV, XXXVI, XXXVII, XXXVIII, XLI, XLII, 

 XLV,LIII.y 



SUGGESTED ORGANIZATION OF AN OYSTER SURVEY. 



A complete oyster survey includes a part of the normal scientific operations of 

 three separate bureaus 2 of the General Government, and for that reason, as has 

 been previously indicated, an ideal survey of the oyster resources of any one State 

 would involve the cooperation of these three Government bureaus with a State 

 commission especially created for that purpose. (XXXIV.) 1 



Arranged in the order of actual operations, and without reference to priority or 

 magnitude of the interests involved, the distribution of tbe work of the suggested 

 cooperative oyster survey would be as follows: 



United States Coast and Geodetic Survey. — The establishment of a surveying 

 foundation of triangulation, topography, and hydrography. 



United States Bureau of Fisheries. — The delimitation of the boundaries of the 

 various classes of oyster bottoms and other scientific operations pertaining par- 

 ticularly to oysters. 



United States Bureau of Chemistry. — The sanitary survey of the oyster-producing 

 waters. 



State Oyster Survey Commission. — The marking, defining, and charting of the 

 boundaries of both public and leased oyster bottoms, and the consideration of matters 

 relating to the economic development of the oyster industry to be based on the 

 results of the oyster survey. 



1 See "References," p. 19. 2 Bureau of Fisheries, Coast and Geodetic Survey, and Bureau of Chemistry. 



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