54 
to furnish means of transportation to and from Baltimore, boats 
and equipment. 7 
This being the first work of this character done in Maryland, 
your Engineer secured from the United States Bureau of Fisheries 
a bottom tester, designed with a disk and plunger. This device. 
registered hard or shelly bottoms, soft or stiff mud. Large sec- 
tional charts were made to cover the area in question, which were 
sub-divided into ten-acre sections. Fach of the 76 sub-divisions 
were first gone over with the bottom tester, then with the chain- 
wire drag, in order to get the shell curve, and lastly with the 
tonging method in order to get the average number of oysters 
(classified) in each section. This work was completed in March 
to the entire satisfaction of the planters. 
Revised published charts, showing the new bars added, were 
also prepared during the winter, and were filed with the clerks 
of the Circuit Courts in the following counties: 
Calvert, at Prince Frederick. 
St. Mary’s, at Leonardtown. 
Somerset, at Princess Anne. 
Dorchester, at Cambridge. 
Talbot, at Easton. 
Queen Anne’s, at Centreville. 
The Assistant Engineer was sent to certain localities during the 
winter and early spring to make urgent surveys for oyster lots. 
The Engineer was summoned to attend court in Dorchester County 
in April and Somerset County in May, 1915, in connection with 
protested applications and condemnation cases. 
The State steamer “Governor R. M. McLane” was turned over 
for our work, and placed in commission June 1, 1915. 
No re-examinations were made in connection with the dredging 
schooner during the year 1915. A number of protested applica- 
tions for oyster grounds had to be examined. Counsel for the 
oystermen, in several counties; agreed to have the examinations 
made previous to the hearings in court. ‘The re-examination 
brought out some interesting developments and a number of cases 
were compromised, while others proved the areas in question to 
be up to the standard of a natural oyster bar. A number of oyster 
lots were surveyed for planters and adjustments made on areas 
already leased. The Engineer was summoned to attend court on 
