MARYLAND OYSTER SURVEY. 11 



METHODS. 



The methods employed on the work of the Maryland Oyster Survey being indi- 

 cated in outline in the "Conclusions" and also explained in detail in the publica- 

 tions of the Maryland Shell Fish Commission (XLIII, pp. 48-95) 1 and the United 

 States Coast and Geodetic Survey (XLIV, pp. 248-249, 172-177, 33-36, 20-21), 1 

 it is not in harmony with the plan of this publication to repeat that information here. 



But there is one point in the methods not adequately explained elsewhere in 

 the publications of the Maryland Oyster Survey which it is believed should be empha- 

 sized. And that point relates to the advantages of the use of geographic coordi- 

 nates in technically and legally defining boundaries of natural oyster bars and leased 

 oyster bottoms. 



This method of denning property lines under water was also used in the survey 

 of the leased oyster bottoms of Delaware, and outlined in the following extract from 

 the report of that work (XLVIII, pp. 69-74) : » 



The difficulties of accurately locating and permanently defining the boundaries of a farmer's planta- 

 tion on land, even with the aid of monuments, public roads, streams of water, and other points of refer- 

 ence, are often great, judging from the disputes arising from this source. But be that as it may, there 

 can be no doubt as to the difficulties of accurately locating and permanently defining the boundaries of 

 an oysterman's plantation situated under water at a distance off shore from 1 to 6 miles, as is the case 

 with the leased oyster bottoms of Delaware. {XLVIII, map.) 1 



There is only one point on the earth's surface at the intersection of any one parallel of latitude and 

 any one meridian of longitude, and therefore, there can be no dispute as to the meaning of such a geo- 

 graphic definition of the location of a point, even though all^^the original triangulation station marks 

 used in its determination, together with the chart on which its position was originally plotted, have 

 been totally destroyed. 



In the case of the destruction of an original triangulation station mark, or any other point defined by 

 a geographic position, a competent geodetic engineer can reestablish its exact location by means of a new 

 system of triangulation connecting with other distant triangulation station marks which have not been 

 destroyed. In the case of the destruction of the chart on which the position of any such point on the 

 earth's surface was originally plotted, this point can be replotted by its geographic position with any 

 degree of accuracy permitted by the scale of any new chart constructed for that purpose. 



If there be no question at the time of the original location and legal adoption of a geographic definition 

 of the location of a point by a given latitude and longitude, there can be no technical or legal question 

 afterwards as to its exact meaning, or as to the exact redetermination of the location of this point, be it 

 either on land or water at its newly determined position, or on a new chart in its newly plotted position. 



For these reasons, the method of defining the location of boundary points by latitudes and longitudes 

 (geographic positions) was adopted in the survey of the leased oyster bottoms of Delaware. This method is 

 more or less an innovation in oyster surveys which was first used in connection with the work of the Mary- 

 land Oyster Survey. It possesses so many undoubted advantages, and at the same time is so simple in 

 principle and application when once understood, that its adoption by other oyster surveys of other States 

 than Maryland and Delaware seems probable. 



RESULTS. 



The results of the Maryland Oyster Survey are presented in many forms and in 

 many places throughout the publications of that survey. 



Graphically, they are represented on a large scale on the Maryland Oyster 

 Charts, Nos. 1 to 42. (LIV.) 1 On a medium-sized scale, they are partly shown on 



1 See "References," p. 19. 



