19 



r OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA, 



tions on which it was based were taken in close proximity to the edge 

 of the shoal, while the more distant bottom is more denuded. The 

 growth of young on the productive part of the rock is fair, being 

 sufficient to yield about 9 bushels per day on the scattered area and 

 about 6 bushels on the very scattered area and about the edges of 

 the shoal. 



Following is the record of observations on this bed: 



Details of Examination of Drum Shoal Rock. 



Station 

 num- 



Date of ex- 

 amination. 



Mean 



depth 



of wa 



ter. 



Character of growth 

 of market oysters. 



Oysters caught per 

 square yard. 



Estimated quantity oys- 

 ters per acre. 



ber. 



Spat. 



Culls. 



Counts. 



Seed. 



Market. 



Total. 



585 



Sept. 14, 1909 

 do 



Aug. 12,1909 

 do 



Feet. 

 8.0 

 9.0 

 10.5 



8.5 



Scattering 



2.6 



1.5 



.7 



.9 



11.6 

 7.9 

 6.1 



12.0 



3.1 



2.4 

 1.9 

 1.7 



Bush. 

 92 

 61 

 44 



84 



Bush. 

 50 



39 

 31 



27 



Bush. 

 142 



586 

 44 



Very scattering 



Depleted 



100 

 75 



45 



do 



111 









NEWPORT NEWS ROCK. 



This lies in the overlapping portions of Public Grounds No. 2, 

 Nansemond County, and No. 6, Isle of Wight County, north of 

 Nansemond Ridge, and between Drum Shoal on the east and Cruiser 

 Rock on the west. Its estimated area, density of growth, and 

 contents are as follows: 



Oyster Growth on Newport News Rock. 



Character of growth of market oysters. 



Area. 



Oysters per acre. 



Estimated 

 content of 



Seed. 



Market. 



market 



oysters. 



Dense 



Acres. 



4 



27 



12 



129 



Bushels. 

 93 



75 

 83 

 34 



Bushels. 

 108 

 03 

 35 

 27 



Bushels. 

 432 



Scattering 



1,701 



Very scattering i 



420 



Dep leted 



3,483 







Total 



172 







6,036 











The rock in reality consists of several shoal spots separated by 

 areas of depleted bottom in deeper water. The dense area is a small 

 spot lying by itself in about 8 feet of water at low tide, and it bears 

 market oysters in sufficient quantity to yield to the tonger about 

 9 bushels per day, and the young growth is in nearly the same 

 quantity. The scattered and very scattered growth lies on Cruiser 

 Shoal proper, the former being sufficiently productive to yield about 

 6 bushels and the latter about 3 bushels per day. On both of these 

 areas there is a fair growth of young, sufficient to yield about 

 bushels per day. 



