28 



OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES EWER, VIRGINIA. 



The dense area varies considerably in productiveness, one spot 

 near what appeared to be the center of the original bed producing 

 a quantity of oysters sufficient to yield 50 bushels per day to the 

 tonger, while in another place not more than 9 bushels could be 

 taken. 



On the very scattering area of the larger bed barely 3 bushels per 

 day could be taken, but on the small isolated spot the growth was 

 sufficient to yield about 4 bushels per day. The depleted area is 

 practically bare of oysters of all sizes, and the quantity of shells is 

 negligible. On the small strip in the dense bottom where the market 

 oysters were most abundant there is a very dense growth of young, 

 but the rest of the bed is deficient in this respect. 



The following table gives the results of the several examinations of 

 the beds: 



Details of Examination of Beds Between Fishing Point and Ballards Marsh 



Rocks. 



Station 

 num- 



' Mean 

 Date of ex- depth 

 amination. of wa- 



i 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. 



93 



; Feet. 

 Aug. 14,1909 7.5 

 do 7.5 



do i 7.0 



Sept. 3,1909 I 8.5 

 Aug. 14,1909 | S.5 



do 8.5 



Sept. 3,1909 8.5 



Dense 



0.0 

 ,0 

 .3 

 .0 

 .0 

 .0 

 .0 



0.0 

 56.4 

 .0 

 .0 

 .0 

 .0 

 .0 



7.0 



37.3 



3.1 



2.0 



.0 



.0 



.0 



Bush. 

 

 366 

 2 

 

 

 

 



Bush. 



85 



451 



37 



25 















Bush. 

 85 



95 



98 



464 



96 



do 



Very scattering 



do 



817 

 39 

 25 

 



97 

 463 



.....do 



do 





 



BALLARDS MARSH ROCK. 



This is the bed called by Winslow "Bally Smash," probably an un- 

 conscious attempt to render a provincial pronunciation phonetically- 

 It is the westernmost bed of Public Ground No. 6, Isle of Wight County. 

 It follows the line of a shoal which sets offshore from Ballards Marsh. 



Its extent and condition are epitomized in the following table: 



Oyster Growth on Ballards Marsh Rock. 



Character of growth of market oysters. 



Area. 



Oysters per acre. 



Estimated 

 content of 



Seed. 



Market. 



market 

 oysters. 



Scattering 



Acres. 



4 



33 



142 



Bushels. 

 152 

 191 

 45 



Bushels. 

 31 

 24 



7 



Bushels. 

 124 



Very scattering 



792 



Depleted 



894 







Total 



179 







1,810 











