OYSTER-CULTURE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. 
313 . 
ters is found along the shores and around the islands in the river, but no oysters occur 
below low-water mark. The specific gravity at the mouth of the river at two-thirds 
ebb was 1.0231 surface and 1.0233 bottom; at Beaufort, 1.0226 surface and 1.0227 
bottom, and at the junction of Albergottie and Brickyard creeks, one-lialf flood, 
1.0226 surface and 1.0227 bottom. The total area of the river is about 3,840 acres; 
area of natural oyster beds, about 19.6 acres. 
Chowan Creelt is a small tributary of Beaufort River. Rising in St. Helena Island, 
it flows westward and empties into Beaufort River 4 miles above its mouth. It is 
about 5 miles long and has a depth of water ranging from 3 to 16 feet. The bottom is 
generally hard aud sticky. Some fair oysters were taken here at the outer limit of 
the raccoon ledges. The specific gravity at the mouth was 1.0228 surface and 1.0230 
bottom, at last of ebb, and 1.0224 both surface and bottom, near the head at early 
flood. The total area of the creek is 720 acres; area of natural oyster beds, 8.7 acres. 
Jericho and Battery Creelcs . — This tributary, called Jericho in its upper and Bat- 
tery in its lower part, takes its rise in Port Royal Island near the town of Beaufort, 
and winding in many directions, with a general trend southward, empties into Beau- 
fort River 5 miles above its mouth, near the terminus of the Port Royal Railroad. It 
is a narrow, deep stream, ranging in depth from 3 to 20 feet, and much of the bottom 
is well adapted to the cultivation of oysters, being hard and sticky. Very good oys- 
ters are taken here, in limited quantity, just below the outer limit of the raccoon 
oysters, having evidently fallen off from the latter into the deeper water. 
During the examination of the coast of Georgia the previous winter, my attention 
was called to the fact that never in water presenting the same.conditions of density 
as this (the general conditions are similar in the two States) were oysters found in 
deep water, unless they had dropped from the ledges above, and yet they grow and 
thrive between high and low tide mark. It is also a notable fact that there is an 
abundance of oyster life near the inlets in the Southern waters, as is manifested by the 
numerous and continuous ledges of raccoon oysters, and it may be laid down as a rule 
that as you approach the heads of the streams, where the specific gravity is much 
lower, the beds along shore become less frequent and the type of oyster becomes 
poorer ; but when this condition is reached one may look for and expect to find deep 
water oyster beds. These facts were so patent that Lieut. Platt suggested a careful 
series of density observations at two points in this creek, to be made at different times 
of the tide and in different depths of water, to determine, if possible, the cause of the 
absence of oysters in the deeper water. These observations were conducted in cross 
sections of the creek opposite the railroad wharf at Port Royal and opposite the wharf 
of the Messrs. Brotherhood’s phosphate mills in Jericho Creek, the water being also 
analyzed by Dr. Bashford Dean. Other experiments will be made during the spawning 
season to test the specific gravity of the oyster spat itself. 
Other interesting experiments were undertaken in this vicinity, the outcome of 
which will be watched with much interest. A number of oysters were selected from 
the raccoon beds, which are left bare at low water, counted and carefully marked with 
tin tags, and transplanted to deeper water. The death rate of these will be carefully 
noted at a future date, aud they will be examined closely to see if there has been a 
set of spat. Oysters from the adjacent shores were also planted in midstream on 
suitable bottom opposite the wharf of the Messrs. Brotherhood’s phosphate works, for 
a similar purpose. 
