OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 



25 



DOG SHOAL ROCK. 



This bed occupies the northwestern or upstream part of Naseway 

 Shoal. The rocks are in reality two, separated by the tongue of 

 deeper water which makes into Naseway Shoal from the west and 

 extends well toward the ridge of Trout Shoal. 



The larger rock is hook shaped and contains two areas of dense 

 growth and a long strip of very scattering oysters, both following 

 the line of a shell ridge bare in parts at low water. The smaller area 

 is a U-shaped ridge of scattering oysters lying between the deeper 

 water just mentioned and the swash channel, which separates it from 

 the adjacent Fishing Point rock. 



The following table shows the area, density of growth, and esti- 

 mated oyster content of the rock: 



Oyster Growth on Dog Shoal Rock. 



Character of growth of market oysters. 



Area. 



Oysters per acre. 



Estimated 

 content of 



Seed. 



Market. 



market 

 oysters. 



Dense 



A cres. 

 16 

 13 

 35 



118 



Bushels. 



155 



153 



22 



41 



Bushels. 



104 



39 



27 



12 



Bushels. 

 1,664 

 507 







945 





1,416 







Total 



182 







4,532 









The dense areas produce market oysters in sufficient quantity to 

 yield the tonger an average of about 12 bushels per day, the scattering 

 area will yield about 6 bushels, and the very scattering about 3 

 bushels. On the depleted area the yield would be at no place more 

 than about 2 or 2 \ bushels of marketable stock, and the average at 

 all places examined was about 1 bushel. 



The growth of young oysters on this rock is prolific, the density on 

 the dense and scattering areas of market oysters being sufficient to 

 yield the tonger an average of about 23 bushels per day. On the 

 area of very scattering growth the yield should be about 3 bushels of 

 young per day and on the depleted area about 4 bushels. The 

 average of the latter is brought up by the very dense growth of 

 young found in places close to the exposed ridge, where the quantity 

 of market oysters was negligible. Over all of the area shown on the 

 chart as depleted, excepting close to the productive areas, both clean 

 shells and young were practically absent. The market oysters on 

 this rock, like those on Trout Shoal and High Shoal, are compara- 

 tively small, averaging a little in excess of 400 per bushel. 



The data on which the foregoing description is based are as fol- 

 lows: 



