Report of the Board of Shell Fish Commissioners. 57 
are all hard and sandy with the exception of a small area 
of soft mud on and near St. Catherine oyster bar. 
During the period when the survey was carried on, the 
water collected from the oyster grounds showed a density of 
1.009 to 1.012. The Sound receives some fresh water from 
the small creeks which empty into it but during the greater 
part of the year its waters probably do not differ materially 
in density from those of the Potomac. 
A maximum range in the tides of 3.5 feet was noted in this 
locality which is sufficient to bring about a good circulation 
of the water over the shallow bottoms of the Sound. The 
mean range of the tide is 1.9 feet. 
Not less than 200 acres of the barren bottoms in this section 
are valuable for oyster culture. 
WICOMICO RIVER. 
(Shown on Chart of Natural Oyster Bars, No. 26.) 
The conditions affecting the growth of oysters in the part 
of Wicomico River belonging to St. Marys County do not 
differ materially from those observed to prevail over the 
oyster grounds on the Charles County side and their deserip- 
tion need not therefore be repeated. (See page 45-47.) 
The fifteen natural oyster bars which almost fill the part 
of the river belonging to St. Mary’s County have a total area 
of 2,567 acres. The name, extent and condition of each bar 
as ascertained during the survey is given in the table on 
page 65. | 
Barren and depleted bottoms having an area of about 500 
acres, considered to be adapted for oyster culture, are to be 
found at several places between the inshore limits of the 
natural oyster bars and the shore line from St. Margarets 
Island to Keys bar above the mouth of Chaptico Bay. 
CHESAPEAKE BAY. 
(Shown on Charts of Natural Oyster Bars, Nos. 21, 22 and 23.) 
The natural oyster bars in the part of the Bay adjacent to 
St. Marys County have been designated by law for the use 
of dredgers. A part of this area, however, is resorted to by 
tongmen who live along the Bay shore. 
