OYSTER-CULT URE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. 
317 
oyster grounds of Mr. John Griffin. His operations consist in taking the seed from 
St. Pierre Creek and transferring it to suitable bottom in Bailey Creek. The oysters 
are marketed from one to two years after planting. He has about 3,000 or 4,000 
bushels planted and sells about 1,000 bushels a year, which he disposes of entirely 
•in Charleston, at the rate of 75 cents per bushel. Mr. Griffin informs me that a 
large part of the bottom of this creek is either very soft mud or quicksand and that 
he can only hud small areas here and there suited to his purpose. . Seed oysters are 
so near and so conveniently obtained that he has never deposited shells to catch 
the young oysters, but I do not doubt that it would be feasible to do so here. The 
planted oysters here, as well as in St. Pierre Creek and New River, are covered with 
barnacles. The specific gravity of the water at the western mouth is 1.0120; 3 miles 
above, 1.0126; 1 mile from the eastern mouth, 1.0130; at the eastern mouth, 1.0130. 
The entire area of the creek is about 80 acres; area of planted grounds about 20 acres. 
Dawho River connects at its western mouth with the South Edisto River, and 
furnishes the inland passage from the South to the North Edisto rivers. The fresh 
water from the South Edisto renders the upper part of this river totally unfit for 
oyster cultivation, and the raccoon oysters only begin to show at a point about 2 miles 
above the eastern mouth on the mud flats. The specific gravity of the water off the 
eastern mouth during the early flood was 1.0199 surface and 1.0205 bottom; 1 mile 
above this mouth, at the mouth of Long Creek, high water, 1.0192 surface and 1.0209 
bottom. The area of the lower part of the river is about 384 acres; area of natural 
oyster beds, about 8.5 acres. 
Steamboat Greek, called Russell in its upper part, takes its rise in the northwest- 
ern part of Edisto Island and, flowing in an easterly direction, makes a junction with 
the North Edisto River 5J miles below its head. The depths correspond Avitli the 
Coast Survey soundings; the bottom is hard and sticky along the sides and soft in 
the channel. Raccoon oysters extend along the shores in patches, and the mud flats 
between this creek and the Dawho River contain a labyrinth of oyster beds. The 
specific gravity of the water at Edisto Island post-office, at low tide, was 1.0175 surface 
and 1.0185 bottom; at its mouth, early flood, 1.0235 surface and 1.0212 bottom. The 
total area, including mudflats, amounts to about 1,360 acres; area of natural oyster 
beds, about 71 acres. 
North Edisto River , unlike the South Edisto, is simply a short arm of the sea, and 
through its continuation with the Wadmelaw River, Now Cut, and Church Flats, 
merges into the Stono River at Rantowles Creek, and furnishes an inland passage from 
this river to Stono Inlet. It may be said to head at Wadmelaw Point, from Avhich 
place to the mouth it has a length of 7\ miles and an average width of one-half mile. 
The bottom is generally hard and underlaid in places by phosphate rock. No oysters 
are found in deep water, but those of the raccoon type extend along the shores to 
the mouth of Bohicket Creek. The specific gravity of the water at the mouth of 
ToAvnsend River was 1.0233 surface and 1.0234 bottom, on the last of the flood; at the 
mouth of Leadenwah Creek, 1.0209 surface and 1.0208 bottom, on the first of the flood: 
and off Wadmelaw Point, or the mouth of Dawho River, 1.0199 surface and 1.0205 
bottom, during early flood. The total area from Wadmelaw Point to the mouth is 
about 2,112 acres; area of natural oyster beds, about 7.9 acres. 
Bohicket Greek , the most southern tributary of the North Edisto on the eastern 
shore, was examined from its mouth to a point 6 miles above. It has a general trend 
