OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 19 
tions on which it was based were taken in close proximity to the 
edge of the shoal, while the more distant bottom is more denuded. 
The growth of young on the productive part of the rock is fair, being 
sufficient to yield about 9 bushels per day on the scattered area and 
about 6 bushels on the very scattered area and about the edges of the 
shoal. 
Following is the record of observations on this bed : 
Details op Examination of Drum Shoal 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. 
585 
Sept. 14,1909 
Feet. 
8.0 
Scattering 
2.6 
11.6 
3.1 
Bush. 
92 
Bush. 
50 
Bush. 
142 
586 
do....... 
9.0 
Very scattering. . . 
1.5 
7.9 
2.4 
61 
39 
100 
44 
Aug. 12,1909 
10.5 
Depleted 
.7 
6.1 
1.9 
44 
31 
75 
45 
do 
8.5 
do 
.9 
12.0 
1.7 
84 
27 
111 
NEWPORT NEWS ROCK. 
This lies in the overlapping portions of Public Grounds No. 2, 
Nansemond County, and No. 6, Isle of Wight County, north of 
Nansemond Ridge, and between Drum Shoal on the east and Cruiser 
Rock on the west. Its estimated area, density of growth, and 
contents are as follows: 
Oyster Growth on Newport News Rock. 
Character of growth of market oysters. 
Area. 
Oysters per acre. 
Estimated 
content of 
market 
oysters. 
Seed. 
Market. 
Dense 
A cres. 
4 
27 
12 
129 
Bushels. 
93 
75 
83 
34 
Bushels. 
108 
63 
35 
27 
Bushels. 
432 
1,701 
420 
3,483 
Scattering 
Very scattering 
Depleted 
Total 
172 
6,036 
The rock in reality consists of several shoal spots separated by 
areas of depleted bottom in deeper water. The dense area is a small 
spot lying by itself in about 8 feet of water at low tide, and it bears 
market oysters in sufficient quantity to yield to the tonger about 
9 bushels per day, and the young growth is in nearly the same quan- 
tity. The scattered and very scattered growth lies on Cruiser Shoal 
proper, the former being sufficiently productive to yield about 6 
bushels and the latter about 3 bushels per day. On both of these 
areas there is a fair growth of young, sufficient to yield about 6 
bushels per day. 
