38 



OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 



the beds the production of young oysters is good on the very scatter- 

 ing and depleted areas, which in their other parts are deficient in 

 immature growth. 



The following data furnish the basis for the foregoing: 



4 



Details of Examination of Blunt Point Rock. 



Station 

 num- 

 ber. 



252 

 253 

 180 

 187 

 254 

 173 

 175 

 178 

 182 

 188 

 380 

 381 

 174 

 177 

 179 

 181 

 189 

 190 

 251 

 378 

 379 





Mean 



Date of ex- 



depth 



amination. 



of wa- 





ter. 





Feet. 



Aug. 21,1909 



9.5 



do 



12.5 



Aug. 18,1909 



12.5 



do 



6.5 



Aug. 21,1909 



11.0 



Aug. 18,1909 



16.0 



do 



10.5 



do 



10.5 



do 



11.0 



do 



9.5 



Aug. 26,1909 



14.5 



do 



13.0 



Aug. 18,1909 



16.0 



do 



13.5 



do 



16.5 



do 



13.5 



do 



8.5 



Aug. 19,1909 



9.5 



Aug. 21,1909 



11.5 



Aug. 26,1909 



12.5 



do 



15.5 



Character of growth 

 of market oysters. 



Dense 



do 



Scattering 



do 



do 



Very scattering 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



Depleted 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



do 



Oysters caught per 



Estimated quantity oys- 



square yard. 



ters per acre. 



Spat. 



Culls. 



Counts. 



Seed. 



Market. 



Total. 









Bush. 



Bush. 



Bush. 



7.9 



17.5 



7.5 



165 



103 



268 



3.1 



24.5 



15.9 



178 



219 



397 



1.5 



33.9 



5.3 



230 



73 



303 



.0 



.8 



3.5 



5 



48 



53 



.3 



22.9 



4.2 



151 



58 



209 



.9 



5.0 



4.6 



38 



63 



101 



2.6 



42.3 



3.5 



292 



48 



340 



1.3 



27.1 



2.9 



184 



40 



224 



2.0 



7.1 



3.7 



59 



51 



110 



.0 



4.0 



2.0 



26 



28 



54 



1.0 



3.1 



4.1 



27 



57 



84 



.3 



16.0 



2.1 



106 



29 



135 



1.9 



35.2 



2.6 



241 



36 



277 



-.0 



.0 



.0 















.0 



3.6 



.9 



23 



7 



30 



.0 



.0 



.0 















1.3 



12.1 



1.3 



87 



18 



105 



.0 



.0 



1.3 







18 



18 



.8 



2.9 



1.3 



24 



18 



42 



.0 



.0 



1.8 







25 



25 



.0 



.0 



.0 















WHITE SHOAL ROCKS. 



These are two rocks in very shallow water, with slightly greater 

 depths between and deep channels surrounding. The westernmost 

 lies about a bare shell bank and the easternmost is nearly awash at 

 low water. 



The following exhibits their extent and condition at the beginning 

 of the oyster season of 1909-10. 



Oyster Growth on White Shoal Rocks. 



Character of growth of market oysters. 



Area. 



Oysters per acre. 



Estimated 

 content of 



Seed 



Market. 



market 

 oysters. 



Dense 



Acres. 

 44 

 10 

 52 



Bushels. 

 312 

 108 

 53 



Bushels. 

 127 

 36 

 12 



Bushels. 

 5,588 



Very scattering 



360 



Depleted 



624 







Total 



106 







6,572 









The dense areas produce a good quantity of marketable oysters 

 and at the beginning of the present season should be capable of yield- 

 ing about 12 bushels of oysters per full day of tonging. There are 

 no areas of scattered growth within the definition of this report, but at 



