OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 



37 



BLUNT POINT ROCK. 



This is the uppermost bed in that part of Public Ground No. 1, War- 

 wick County, in which the cull law is enforced. All beds above this, 

 excepting the small one in Warwick Kiver, are within the area which 

 is set apart for seed production. This rock is rather attenuated in 

 most of its parts, being in the shape of an irregular ring surrounding 

 a deeper barren area, with a long tail running along the Baylor line 

 in the direction of Deep Creek. The highly productive area is very 

 limited and the very scattering growth constitutes more than half 

 of the total area. The extent and general condition of the bed at the 

 time of the survey are shown in the following table: 



Oyster Growth on Blunt Point Rock. 





Character of growth of market oysters. 



Area. 



Oysters per acre. 



Estimated 

 content of 



Seed. 



Market. 



market 

 oysters. 



Dense 



Acres. 



16 



69 



225 



118 



Bushels. 

 171 

 193 

 105 

 42 



Bushels. 



161 



60 



45 



14 



Bushels. 

 2,576 



Scattering 



4,140 



Very scattering 



10, 125 

 1,652 



Depleted 







Total 



428 







18, 493 











The bottom covered with a dense growth occurs on two small 

 patches on small shoals, on which about 15 bushels of market oysters 

 could be taken in a day. 



There are three areas of scattering growth, of about equal produc- 

 tiveness so far as market oysters are concerned. One of these is at 

 the extreme end of the rock off Deep Creek, which is in close proximity 

 to planted beds and bears some indications of being itself planted 

 ground. These areas as a whole will yield, it is estimated, an average 

 of about 6 bushels per day. 



The very scattering growth consists of a narrow zone almost en- 

 circling the included barren area above alluded to and a prolonga- 

 tion northward toward Deep Creek. The examinations made on 

 it indicate a probable yield of about 3J bushels per day of continuous 

 tonging. 



The depleted area skirts the preceding for a good part of its length, 

 and in addition forms a projection on the western part of the bed and 

 a small isolated patch on a shoal just beyond it. Its content o( 

 oysters is such that it could furnish the tonger with hardly more than 

 a bushel per day. 



The young growtli is in good quantity on the dense and scattering 

 areas of oysters, excepting that nearest Deep Creek, where it is prac- 

 tically absent. With the exception noted, the tonger should be able 

 to gather about 15 bushels per day. On the narrow annular part o{ 



