OYSTEK BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 



29 



The scattering area is a small spot near the inner end of the shoal, 

 where the quantity of market oysters is sufficient to yield to the 

 tonger between 7 and 8 bushels per day. The very scattering growth 

 is found on each side of this and beyond it for a distance of about 

 two-thirds the length of the shoal, bearing a growth yielding about 

 3 1 bushels of oysters per day's work. On both sides of the very 

 scattering area and beyond it along the line of the shoal is a de- 

 pleted bottom on which, as a whole, less than 1 bushel of oysters 

 can be taken per day, the edges of the area being practically barren. 



Along both sides of the shoal, even on the so-called depleted 

 bottom which surrounds it at its outer end, is a heavy growth of 

 young and many shells, which will yield on the average about 35 

 bushels of culls and spat per day. The market oysters on this bed 

 will average about 400 to the bushel and the culls or seed oysters 

 about 750. 



Details op Examination of Ballards Marsh Rock. 











Oysters caught per 



Estimated quantity oys- 



Station 

 num- 



Date of ex- 



Mean 

 depth 

 of wa- 



Character of gro 

 of market oyst 



square yard. 



wth 



ters per acre. 



ber. 



amination. 



ers. 

















ter. 





Spat. 



Culls. 



Counts. 



Seed. 



Market. 



Total.. 







Feet. 











Bush. 



Bush. 



Bush. 



86 



Aug. 14,1909 



3.0 



Scattering 



13. 7 



9.7 



2.6 



152 



31 



183 



85 



do 



6.0 



Very scattering 



3.2 



3.2 



2.1 



42 



25 



67 



462 



Sept. 3,1909 



5.0 



6.6 



21.7 



2.0 



184 



25 



209 



514 



Sept. 9,1909 



4.0 



V.'.'Ao".'.'.'".'. 



10.8 



42.3 



1.8 



346 



22 



368 



87 



Aug. 14,1909 



6.0 



Depleted 



3 



2.3 



1.4 



17 



17 



34 



88 



do 



7.0 



do 







.0 



.0 















89 



do 



9.0 



do 







.0 



1.7 







21 



21 



90 



do 



7.0 



do 







.0 



.0 















91 



do 



7.0 



do 







.3 



1.8 



2 



22 



24 



461 



Sept. 3,1909 



7.0 



do 



4.7 



27.7 



1.3 



211 



16 



227 



504 



Sept. 9,1909 



6.0 



do 







.0 



.0 















505 



do 



5.0 



do 



5.7 



22.5 



.4 



183 



5 



188 



506 





...do.... 





4.5 



do 



7.4 



21.0 



.5 



185 



6 



191 



508 





...do.... 





4.5 



do 



10. 3 



22.4 



.2 



213 



2 



215 



513 





...do.... 





6.0 



do 







.0 



.2 







2 



2 



515 





...do.... 





5.5 



do 







.0 



.9 







11 



11 



516 





...do.... 





6.0 



do 







.0 



.7 







8 



8 



517 





...do.... 





6.0 



do 







.0 



.2 







2 



2 



518 





...do.... 





7.0 



do 







.0 



.5 







6 



6 



519 





...do.... 





7.0 



do 







.3 



1.4 



2 



17 



19 



520 





...do.... 





6.5 



do 







.0 



.0 















521 





...do 



5.5 



do 







.0 



.0 















CREEK CHANNEL ROCK. 



This is a small bed about 2 acres in extent, covering a shoal 

 marked by a buoy of the Light-House Establishment. It has the 

 indications of having been a dense bed, but at the present time it is 

 depleted, and a tonger could take on it an average of hardly a bushel 

 of oysters per day, and the young growth is still more sparse. It is 

 surrounded by private beds. It constitutes Public Ground No. 5, 

 Isle of Wight County. 



