22 



OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 





Details of Examination of Flat Rock and Small Beds Between Nansemond 

 Ridge and Fishing Point. 



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. 



31 



Aug. 11,1909 

 Aug. 12,1909 

 Aug. 11,1909 



Feet. 

 10.5 

 10.0 

 10.5 



Dense 



0.2 

 1.8 

 .0 



0.2 

 6.7 

 2.4 



6.7 

 2.6 

 1.6 



Bush. 



3 



55 



16 



Bush. 

 108 

 42 



26 



Bush. 

 Ill 



48 

 32 



Very scattering 



Depleted 



97 

 42 









HIGH SHOAL ROCK. 



High Shoal Rock is conspicuous from its position, near the middle 

 of James River, surrounding a shoal of sand and broken shells bare 

 at practically all times. The highest part of the shoal is near the 

 channel, from which it extends shoreward toward Fishing Point. 

 The bed, including the depleted parts, is quadrangular in shape, 

 with its more productive areas extending at right angles to the shores 

 along its major diameter. Its extent and density of growth are as 

 follows : 



Oyster Growth on High Shoal Rock. 



Character of growth of market oysters. 



Area. 



Oysters per acre. 



Estimated 

 content of 



Seed. Market. 



market 

 oysters. 



Dense 



Acres. 

 24 

 13 

 24 

 95 



Bushels. \ Bushels. 



134 90 



127 48 



58 25 



8 8i 



Bushels. 

 2,160 





624 



Verv scattering 



600 



Depleted 



807 







Total 



156 





4,191 









The dense area extends along practically the entire length of the 

 shoal, as a narrow strip on both sides but especially to the eastward 

 of the highest ridge. The market oysters are somewhat smaller 

 than those in water a little deeper, but on the bed as a whole they 

 were found to average about 400 to the bushel. It is estimated that 

 on this area a tonger could take about 10 bushels of oysters per day. 



The area of scattering growth forms a strip on the southern side of 

 the bed along the edge of a deep swash channel which separates it 

 from one of the neighboring Fishing Point Rocks. Market oysters 

 are produced in sufficient abundance to yield the tonger about 6£ 

 bushels per day. The very scattering area lies to the eastward of the 

 dense area and north of the scattering, and produces oysters suffi- 

 cient to furnish the tonger about 3 to 3 J bushels per day. 



