OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 
25 
DOG SHOAL ROCK. 
This bed occupies the northwestern or upstream part of Naseway 
Shoal. The rocks are in reality two, separated by the tongue of 
deeper water which makes into Naseway Shoal from the west and 
extends well toward the ridge of Trout Shoal. 
The larger rock is hook shaped and contains two areas of dense 
growth and a long strip of very scattering oysters, both following 
the line of a shell ridge bare in parts at low water. The smaller area 
is a U-shaped ridge of scattering oysters lying between the deeper 
water just mentioned and the swash channel, which separates if from 
the adjacent Fishing Point Rock. 
The following table shows the area, density of growth, and esti- 
mated oyster content of the rock : 
Oyster Growth on Dog Shoal Rock. 
•Character of growth of market oysters. 
Area. 
Oysters per acre. 
Estimated 
content of 
market 
oysters. 
Seed. 
Market. 
Dense 
Acres. 
16 
13 
35 
118 
Bushels. 
155 
153 
22 
41 
Bushels. 
104 
39 
27 
12 
Bushels. 
1,664 
507 
945 
1,416 
Scattering 
Very scattering 
Depleted 
Total 
182 
4,532 
1 
The dense areas produce market oysters in sufficient quantity to 
yield the tonger an average of about 12 bushels per day, the scattering 
area will yield about 6 bushels, and the very scattering about 3 
bushels. On the depleted area the yield would be at no place more 
than about 2 or 2 \ bushels of marketable stock, and the average at 
all places examined was about 1 bushel. 
The growth of young oysters on this rock is prolific, the density on 
the dense and scattering areas of market oysters being sufficient to 
yield the tonger an average of about 23 bushels per day. On the 
area of very scattering growth the yield should be about 3 bushels of 
young per day and on the depleted area about 4 bushels. The average 
of the latter is brought up by the very dense growth of young found 
in places close to the exposed ridge, where the quantity of market 
oysters was negligible. Over all of the area shown on the chart as 
depleted, excepting close to the productive areas, both clean shells 
and young were practically absent. The market oysters on this 
rock, like those on Trout Shoal and High Shoal, are comparatively 
small, averaging a little in excess of 400 per bushel. 
The data on which the foregoing description is based are as follows: 
