32 



OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 



The depleted bottom constitutes nearly two-thirds of the total 

 area of the beds as charted. At no place does it promise to yield 

 during the present season more than 2\ bushels per day, and the 

 major part of it is practically barren. 



The growth of young oysters is very good on the shallower parts 

 of the beds, especially on those portions yielding a scattering growth 

 of market stock, where a tonger could take an average of about 15 

 bushels per day. On the dense areas as a whole the young growth is 

 less abundant, the estimated average yield being about 11 bushels 

 per day, the heaviest growth being on two small shoals between the 

 inner end of Browns Shoal and the shipyard at Newport News. 



On all of the productive areas there is an abundance of shells 

 suitable for catching a ,set of spat, but the depleted areas are prac- 

 tically bare and give no promise of recuperation under any natural 

 conditions. 



The following exhibits the results of examinations : 



Details of Examination: of Browns Shoal Rocks. 







Mean 



depth 



of 





Oysters caught per 



Estimated quantity oys- 



Station 

 num- 



Date of exami- 

 nation. 



Character of growth 

 of market oysters. 



* square yard. 



ters per acre. 



ber. 

















water. 





Spat. 



Culls. 



Counts. 



Seed. 



Market. 



Total. 







Feet. 











Bush. 



Bush. 



Bush. 



112 



Aug. 16,1909 



9.5 



Dense 



4.7 



31.9 



12.0 



238 



165 



403 



122 



....do.. 



9.5 



do 



.0 



24.6 



7.9 



160 



109 



269 



123 



do 



8.5 



do 



1.3 



21.6 



9.6 



149 



133 



282 



126 



do 



8.0 



do 



.0 



10.7 



7.3 



70 



101 



171 



139 



Aug. 17,1909 



9.5 



do 



1.6 



6.4 



32.0 



52 



443 



495 



141 



do 



11.5 



do 



2.0 



11.2 



9.6 



86 



133 



219 



142 



do 



14.5 



do 



7.2 



15.6 



12.8 



148 



177 



325 



144 



do 



10.5 



do 



1.5 



18.0 



10.5 



127 



145 



272 



145 



do 



12.5 



do 



1.5 



11.0 



14.5 



81 



200 



281 



146 



do 



13.5 



do 



.0 



9.2 



24.4 



60 



337 



397 



450 



Sept. 1,1909 



10.0 



do 



5.2 



37.8 



4.4 



280 



61 



341 



459 



Sept. 3,1909 



10.5 



do...* 



5.0 



21.2 



10.8 



170 



149 



319 



460 



do 



10.5 



do 



2.1 



16.2 



20.8 



119 



287 



406 



524 



Sept. 10, 1909 



11.5 



do 



.0 



4.0 



9.0 



26 



124 



150 



115 



Aug. 16.1909 

 do 



9.0 



Scattering 



.3 



28.7 



6.3 



188 



87 



275 



118 



7.0 



do 



.6 



21.2 



4.0 



141 



55 



196 



119 



do 



6.0 



do : 



.9 



12.8 



2.3 



89 



32 



121 



120 



do 



6.0 



do 



4.5 



11.8 



2.5 



100 



34 



134 



136 



Aug. 17", 1909 



10.0 



do 



3.6 



25.6 



4.4 



190 



61 



251 



138 



....fdo 



9.0 



do 



2.0 



31.0 



4.0 



214 



55 



269 



143 



do 



12.5 



do 



.0 



2.8 



6.4 



18 



88 



106 



451 



Sept. 1,1909 



7.5 



do 



12.3 



34.0 



3.0 



301 



41 



342 



452 



do 



11.0 



do 



7.3 



20.4 



5.8 



180 



80 



260 



453 



do 



10.0 



do 



2.9 



12.1 



4.6 



98 



64 



162 



117 



Aug. 16,1909 



5.0 



Very scattering 



.2 



12.9 



2.2 



85 



30 



115 



125 



do 



10.0 



do 



.3 



3.7 



3.3 



26 



45 



71 



135 



Aug. 17,1909 



11.0 



do 



2.0 



6.0 



3.2 



52 



44 



96 



140 



....do.. 



11.0 



do 







8.8 



2.8 



57 



39 



96 



457 



Sept. 3,1909 



11.0 



do 



8.2 



26.2 



2.5 



223 



35 



258 



458 



do 



Sept. 10,1909 



10.5 

 10.0 



do 



2.9 

 2.0 



9.6 

 12.5 



3.8 

 2.0 



81 

 94 



52 

 28 



133 



523 



do 



122 



113 



Aug. 16,1909 



12.6 



Depleted 



.0 



5.7 



2.0 



37 



28 



65 



114 



do 



10.5 



do 



.0 



.0 



.0 















116 



do 



12.0 



do 



.0 



.3 



.0 



2 







2 



124 



do 



12.0 



do 



.0 



.0 



.0 















137 



Aug. 17,1909 



L2.0 



do 



.0 



.0 



.0 















449 



Sept. 1,1909 



18.0 



do 



.0 



.0 



.0 















454 



.....do 



18.0 



do 



.0 



2.3 



i.4 



15 



19 



34 



455 



do 



10.5 



do 



.0 



.0 



.0 















!.-,i, 



do 



11.0 



do 



.0 



.0 



.0 















622 



Sept. 10,1909 



24.0 



do 



.0 



.0 



.0 















567 



Sept. 14,1909 



20.5 



do 



.0 



.0 



.0 















