18 
OYSTER BEDS OE JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 
would be hardly more than one-half bushel per day. The young 
growth is sparse and the shells few. The bed bears the aspect of 
having been carried off bodily for planting purposes, a depredation 
to which its location makes it susceptible. The results of detailed 
examinations are as follows : 
Details of Examination of Larkins 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 oys- 
ters per acre. 
ber. 
Spat. 
Culls. 
Counts. 
Seed. 
Market. 
Total. 
20 
Aug. 10,1909 
Feet. 
8.5 
Depleted 
0.0 
0.0 
0.0 
Bush. 
0 
Bush. 
0 
Bush. 
0 
27 
Aug. 11,1909 
7.5 
do 
.0 
.0 
.0 
0 
0 
0 
28 
do 
6.5 
do 
.0 
3.5 
.1 
23 
2 
25 
544 
Sept. 13, 1909 
6.5 
do 
.0 
.0 
.0 
0 
0 
0 
545 
do 
7.0 
do 
.2 
2.7 
1.1 
31 
18 
49 
546 
do 
6.5 
do j 
| 
.0 
.6 
.6 
4 
10 
14 
DRUM SHOAL ROCK. 
This is a small bed located at the northwest corner of Public Ground 
No. 2 in Nansemond County. Its area, density of oyster growth, 
and estimated contents are as follows: 
Oyster Growth on Drum Shoal Rock. 
Character of growth of market oysters. 
Area. 
1 Oysters per acre. 
Estimated 
content of 
market 
oysters. 
! Seed. 
Market. 
Scattering 
Acres. 
19 
14 | 
95 J 
Bushels. 
92 
61 
62 
Bushels. 
50 
39 
29 
Bushels. 
950 
546 
2,755 
Very scattering 
Depleted 
Total .. 
128 
4,251 
This bed was doubtless originally restricted to the area of the 
shoal which is now covered by the scattering and very scattering 
growth, but oysters and shells have become scattered over the sur- 
rounding bottom and it is now connected, by means of a depleted 
area, with Nansemond Ridge Rock on the south and Newport News 
Rock on the west. 
The scattering growth lies in a depth of from 6 to 8 feet at mean 
low water and the market oysters grow in such quantity that a 
tonger of average ability can take about 5 bushels per day. The 
very scattering growth is at the eastern side of the shoal and has 
oysters in sufficient numbers to yield about 3J bushels per day. 
The density of growth shown for the depleted area in the table pro- 
duced above is in excess of the actual conditions, as the examina- 
