12 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 



on the James River, an oysterman can cover twice as much bottom 

 per grab in 4 feet as he can in 8 feet, and about two and one-half 

 times as much as he can using 20-foot tongs in 16 feet. Using the 

 tongs stated, the average tonger observed in Maryland, and the data 

 will hold in Virginia, will make about 2.7 grabs per minute in 4 feet, 

 2.6 in 8 feet, and 1.8 in 16 feet of water. In other words, if he can 

 cover 1 square yard of the bottom in a given time in 16 feet, he can 

 cover 1.7 yards in 8 feet, and 3.3 yards in 4 feet of water. 



It is obvious that if a tonger in a given time is to obtain the same 

 quantity of oysters in each of these depths, the oyster growth must lie 

 on the bottom with a density inversely to the areas stated above. 

 The value of a bed, the price per bushel of the oysters being the same, 

 depends on the quantity which a man can take in a given time, and 

 it therefore happens that a bed in deep water may be valueless com- 

 mercially, while another rock, with the same density of growth but 

 covered by shoaler water, may be tonged with profit. 



Based on these principles, and taking into consideration the number 

 of oysters per bushel on the different beds as determined by actual 

 counts, tables were prepared showing the number of oysters per 

 square yard for each foot of depth necessary to yield to the tonger 

 1 bushel of oysters per day of tonging. From these data the beds 

 were divided into areas, according to the number of bushels of 

 oysters which they were capable of yielding per day to the tonger, 

 based on nine hours of actual tonging and disregarding the time 

 occupied in culling. The bottom was divided into 5 categories: 

 Barren, on which there were neither shells nor oysters; depleted, on 

 which the tonger could take less than 3 bushels of market oysters or 

 4 bushels of seed, according to location; very scattering growth, on 

 which between 3 and 5 bushels of oysters or 4 and 8 bushels of seed 

 could be taken; scattering growth, on which the limits were 5 and 8 

 bushels of market oysters or 8 and 12 bushels of seed; and areas of 

 dense growth, on which upward of 8 bushels of market oysters or 12 

 bushels of seed could be taken per day. 



During the survey 10,440 soundings were taken, and the position of 

 the boat was instrumentally determined at 1,369 places. The chain 

 was dragged for 226 miles, giving continuous indications of the char- 

 acter of the bottom, which were plotted on the chart at 10,440 places. 

 The density of oyster growth was determined by the 590 biological 

 observations already referred to, and the extent and boundaries 

 of the areas as charted were fixed by a combination of these observa- 

 tions and the 10,440 records of the continuous chain readings. Dur- 

 ing the work the writer was in charge of the sounding boat and in 

 constant touch with all operations. The biological observations 

 were all under the immediate charge of Mr. T. E. B. Pope, whose 



