24 



OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 



The extent and productiveness of the bed are shown in the following 



table : 



Oyster Growth on Trout Shoal Rock. 



Character of growth of market oysters. 



Area. 



Oysters per acre. 



Estimated 

 content of 



Seed. 



Market. 



market 

 oysters. 





Acres. 

 25 

 14 

 90 



Bushels. 

 165 

 118 

 21 



Bushels. 



44 



30 



8 



Bushels. 

 1,100 

 420 







720 









Total 



129 





2,240 





i 



There is no dense growth within the meaning of the definition 

 adopted in this report — that is, bottom on which 8 or more bushels 

 of market oysters may be tonged by a man working 9 hours. There 

 are two areas of scattering growth which lie as strips along the line 

 of a shoal largely exposed at low water. These areas are sufficiently 

 productive to yield from 5 to 10 bushels of market oysters per day 

 to the tonger, the average being about 7 bushels. 



The only other productive bottom is a very scattering area occu- 

 pying the central and eastern portion of the rock, from the ridge to 

 the deep water lying between this shoal and High Shoal. On this 

 area a tonger can average a little over 3 bushels of oysters per day. 

 Depleted areas lie on each side of the shoal, that on the western side 

 being more extensive and continuous with the depleted area of Dog 

 Shoal rock. On these areas a tonger could take hardly a bushel of 

 market oysters per day, although there are spots a little more pro- 

 ductive. On the scattering and very scattering areas of market 

 oysters the young growth is prolific, on the former being sufficient 

 to yield to the tonger an average of about 26 bushels per day and on 

 the latter about 16 bushels. On both of these areas there is an 

 abundance of clean shells suitable for taking a set of spat, but the 

 depleted areas have comparatively few shells and young oysters. 



The following observations were made on this rock : 



Details of Examination op Trout 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. 



76 



Aug. 13,1909 

 Aug. 14,1909 

 Sept. 8,1909 



do 



Aug. 13,1909 

 Aug. 14,1909 



do 



do 



A.Ug. 13.1909 

 Bept. 8.1909 



do 



do 



Feet. 

 6.5 

 4.0 

 4.5 

 6.5 

 6.0 

 5.0 

 10.0 

 9.5 

 11.5 

 11.0 

 5.5 

 6. 6 





7.7 



1.0 



4.7 



4.2 



4.3 



.8 



.4 



.0 



.4 



L6 



.0 



32.3 



16.1 



29.1 



21.6 



18.3 



25.6 



18.7 



4.8 



2.1 



2. 3 



6.1 



.0 



4.0 



2.4 



4.9 



3.4 



2.0 



1.8 



3.3 



2.8 



1.7 



.3 



.6 



.0 



Bush. 



260 



111 



220 



168 



147 



171 



124 



31 



16. 



19 



50 







Bush. 



48 



29 



59 



41 



24 



22 



40 



34 



-1 



4 



7 







Bush. 

 308 



105 



482 



do 



do 



140 

 279 



488 

 75 

 100 

 107 

 108 

 72 



do 



Very scattering 



do 



do 



do 



Depleted 



209 

 171 

 193 

 164 

 65 

 37 



483 



484 



487 



do 



do 



do 



23 

 57 

 



