OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 83 



DESCRIPTION OF CHARTS. 



The public grounds are platted from the published sheets of the Baylor survey, and 

 their boundaries are shown in broken black lines. 



The depths, which are expressed in feet as referred to mean low water and the 

 symbols designating the consistency of the bottom, are the characteristics selected 

 from a large number of observations. The oyster beds are included within solid red 

 lines, and the density of the oyster growth is indicated by the relative intensity of 

 the shading, and is based on the quantity of culled oysters which can be taken by a 

 tonger working nine hours per day, not including the time occupied in culling. 



Chart 1 covers the area from which market oysters only may be removed, and the 

 bases of the classifications of oyster growth are as follows: Dense, yielding over 8 

 bushels of market oysters per day's tonging; scattering, between 5 and 8 bushels; 

 very scattering, between 3 and 5 bushels; depleted, under 3 bushels. 



Chart 2 embraces the beds of the upper part of James River, on which the cull law 

 is inoperative so far as it pertains to the size of the oysters, and which are therefore 

 devoted to the production of seed oysters for replanting. The classification is as 

 follows: Dense, yielding over 12 bushels of seed oysters per day's tonging; scattering, 

 between 8 and 12 bushels; very scattering, between 4 and 8 bushels; depleted, under 

 4 bushels. 



The unshaded areas within the boundaries of the public beds as charted represent 

 barren bottom. 



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