OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 



65 



Content of Market Oysters, Public Ground No. 1 Warwick County, Below- 

 Deep Creek. 



Name of rock. 



Dense. 



Scatter- 

 ing. 



Very scat- 

 tering. 



Depleted. 



Total. 





Bushels. 

 12, 444 

 912 

 27,090 

 8,745 

 2,576 

 5,588 



Bushels. 

 2,376 



Bushels. 

 1,053 

 480 

 4,CC2 

 5,100 

 10, 125 

 3C0 



Bushels. 

 904 



Bushels. 

 16, 777 



Gun 



1,392 



Kettle Hole 



5,412 

 8,378 

 4,140 





37, 164 





2,667 



1,652 



624 



24, 890 



Blunt Point 



18. 493 



White Shoal 



6,572 









Total 



57,355 



20, 306 



21, 780 



5,847 



105, 288 







The total content is nearly equal to that of the two grounds first 

 described, but it will be observed that it is differently distributed, 

 the dense areas bearing about twice the quantity of marketable oys- 

 ters, the scattering about half as many, the very scattering about 

 one-third more, and the depleted about three-fourths the quantity. 

 With the exception of the depleted bottom, the average growth per 

 acre is in each case somewhat greater than upon the grounds on the 

 opposite side of the James and in the Nansemond River. 



As will be understood from what has gone before, this distribution 

 of the total content is to the distinct advantage of the oj^sterman, as 

 a larger proportion of the oysters may be removed before work on 

 the beds becomes unremunerative. The estimated available content 

 of the beds embraced within this part of the public grounds — that is, 

 the probable maximum yield during the present season — is shown in 

 the following table: 



Available Content 



of Market Oysters, Public Ground No. 1 Warwick 

 .County, Below Deep Creek. 



Name of rock. 



Dense. 



Scatter- 

 ing. 



Very scat- 

 tering. 



Total. 



Browns Shoal 



Bushels. 



9,800 



600 



Bushels. 

 1,200 



Bushels. 

 250 



Bushels. 

 11,250 



Gun 



600 



Kettle Hole 



18, 900 

 6,000 

 2,000 

 4,000 



2,700 



4.200 

 2,000 



800 



500 



2,000 



22, 400 



Thomas Point 



Blunt Point 



10,700 

 6,000 



White Shoal 



4,000 











Total 



41,300 



10, 100 



3,550 



54,950 





Practically four-fifths of the available oysters are found on the 

 areas charted as bearing a dense growth, and about two-thirds of the 

 remainder are on the areas of scattering growth. The bottoms cov- 

 ered by oysters in very scattering growths are slightly more produc- 

 tive than the average of the grounds previously described, but there 4 

 are comparatively few spots on which a tonger could make a mini- 

 mum livelihood. It is estimated that on the dense areas as a whole 

 nearly three- fourths of the total content, on the scattering areas 



