184 THE FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



a crew iu 1877, viz, 1,300 busbels, wo have as the estimated product of this oyster-tlcet 130,000 bushels. The number of canoes and small 

 sloops engaged in tonging for oysters in Hampton and Elizabeth City county, may be safely reckoned at 150. The number of men engaged 

 is about three to the boat, or 450 men and boys, each of whom takes au average of 400 bushels as his year's catch. 



The planting interests in Back river, Hampton, and Mill creeks will add to the foregoing product about 30,000 bushels. 



Summarizing Colonel McDonald's figures, I get : 



Number of registered vessels 13 



Number of small craft 200 



213 



Number of men engaged on vessels , 100 



Number of men in small craft 450 



550 



\ Bushels of oysters marketed 310,000 



Bushels of oysters from plants 30,000 



Total crop 340,000 



Value, at 20 cents per bushel $G8, 000 



lurtlier particulars of this region appear as follows : 



Back river is the dividing line between Elizabeth City and York counties. It was once extensively planted with oysters, and the 

 product bore a good reputation and brought good prices. I'or some reason the ground became unproductive — attributed by my informant 

 to over-planting— and only in the last two or three years has it begun to recover. At the present time about 10,000 bushels are planted 

 annually. The capacity of the planting-grouuds is estimated by Mr. Booker at 100,000 bushels. Poquosiu river, a few miles to the 

 northeastward, iu York county, has a planting capacity of about 175,000 bushels. The amount annually planted there is from 25,000 to 

 30,000 bushels, and the amount obtained by tonging from the commons is about 5,000 bushels. 



Xatxtral and aetificial beds in Hampton eoads and Jaimes river. — From another gentleman, 

 described as a "planter of intelligence and varied experience". Colonel McDonald obtained information wliich 

 enabled him to plot upon his charts all of the natural " rocks " and the planting-grounds in Ilampton roads and 

 the James river. The i>lantings specified, with their products, are these : 



In Mill creek back of Fortresa Monroe : 



. Bushels. 



Now planted 5,000 



Capacity 10,000 



On Hampton flats, between Newport News and Hampton creek : 



Now planted 5.000 



Capacity 400,000 



In Hampton creek : 



Now planted 10,000 



Capacity 10,000 



On edge of Channel, back of Ripraps : 



Now jilanted 5,000 



In Willoughby bay, back of Ripraps: 



Now planted 50,000 



Up the James river are a few plants — probably 2.5,000 or 30,000 bushels — but thousands of acres are available 

 for i^lanting which, in a few years more, will be brought into productiveness. 



Methods of oyster-culture about Hampton.— The seed for this cultivation is chiefly obtained in the 

 James river, and the favorite points are high up the river near the upper limit of the natural-growth of the 

 oyster, which limit is at the Deep Shoals light-house, a few miles below Jamestown. The efibrt is always to get 

 round, single, deep, thin-shelled oysters for planting; the smaller the better, if they can lie until of mature growth. 

 The tongs employed are of three sizes — 24, 32, and 36 inches in breadth of "head". They are of the ordinary 

 pattern. The size employed depends upon the raukness of growth of the bed. Where single, or " cove", oysters 

 are sparsely scattered over the bottom, a small pair of tongs, with eight or ten inch jaws, is employed to gather 

 them. The use of these is impracticable, however, unless the water be clear and smooth, so that the oysters can 

 be " sighted ", or seen and aimed at. This can readily be done in water from 4 to 7 feet deep. Such oysters are 

 large, fat, and of good shape ; they class as " selects ", and "bring " top " prices in the market, from 60 cents to $1 

 per busliel. The seed is obtained by the tongmen, who work with their own canoe or tools, or by the planters, who 

 hire crews and equiii boats of their own to go after seed. In taking the oysters for planting, little or no culling 

 is usually attempted. The cost of planting oysters (culled) varies from 10 to 40 cents per bushel, dei)endi]ig upon 

 the character of the seed. Eough oysters — the run of the rock — may be planted for about 5 cents a bushel. 



The amount planted on a given area is regulated by the time they are to lie. Fbr one year about 30 square 

 feet is allowed to the bushel; when the ])lants are to lie for two years about 40 square feet to the bushel. Where 

 the oysters are simply shifted to fresher water to fatten, and lie but a few months, several thousand bushels to the 

 acre are often laid down. Ordinarily, the increase after lying fifteen months is one-fourth; for small single oysters 

 it is double, or 100 per cent. The rate of growth will vary with location and other circumstances. The best 

 judges, at Hampton, think that plants ought not to lie less than two years in order to get the best results. 



