OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 15 
Details of Examination of Hollands Rock. 
Station 
num- 
Date of ex- 
amination. 
Mean 
depth 
of wa- 
ter. 
Character of growth 
of market oysters. 
Oysters caught per 
square yard. 
Estimated quantity of 
oysters per acre. 
ber. 
Spat. 
Culls. 
Counts. 
Seed. 
Market. 
Total. 
4 
Aug. 9, 1909 
Feet. 
11.0 
Depleted 
0 
0.4 
1.8 
Bush. 
3 
Bush. 
29 
Bush. 
32 
30 
Aug 11,1909 
9.5 
do 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
§ 
NANSEMOND RIDGE ROCK. 
This is the principal and only productive bed in Nansemond 
River. It lies mainly on and about a shoal extending through the 
middle of the river from Cedar Point almost to the middle of James 
River, opposite Newport News. At its northern end it is connected, 
by an unproductive, practically barren area, with three smaller rocks 
hereafter described. Its area, density of oyster growth, and con- 
tents are as follows: 
Oyster Growth on Nansemond Ridge Rock. 
Character of growth of market oysters. 
Area. 
Oysters per acre. 
Estimated 
content 
of market 
oysters. 
Seed. 
Market. 
Dense 
Acres. 
85 
446 
294 
782 
Bushels. 
148 
133 
34 
35 
Bushels. 
93 
60 
37 
11 
Bushels. 
7,905 
26,760 
10,878 
8,602 
Scattering 
Very scattering 
Depleted 
Total 
1,607 
54,145 
The market oysters on this bed are large, averaging at the time 
of the survey a few over 300 per bushel. They are said to attain 
a good condition, particularly late in the season, and are used mainly 
by shucking houses. The small oysters ran about 750 per bushel. 
The broadest, largest, and most productive part of the bed stretches 
northward from opposite Pig Point on the west side of the channel. 
It is estimated that this portion has an area of about 1,156 acres, of 
which 69 acres bear a dense growth of market oysters, 386 acres a 
scattering growth, 201 acres a very scattering growth, and 500 acres 
are depleted. The latter does not include the barren bottom embraced 
between the edges of the bed and the lines of the Baylor survey. It 
is further estimated that on the dense bottom a man tonging exclu- 
sively could take in a day about 10 bushels of market oysters, on the 
scattering area about 6 bushels, on the very scattering part about 31 
bushels, while on the depleted area he could not take an average of 
over 1 bushel. These estimates are for the beginning of the season, 
68427 - 11 - 11 
