28 
OYSTER BEDS OE JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 
The dense area varies considerably in productiveness, one spot 
near what appeared to be the center of the original bed producing 
a quantity of oysters sufficient to yield 50 bushels per day to the 
tonger, while in another place not more than 9 bushels could be 
taken. 
On the very scattering area of the larger bed barely 3 bushels per 
day could be taken, but on the small isolated spot the growth was 
sufficient to yield about 4 bushels per day. The depleted area is 
practically bare of oysters of all sizes, and the quantity of shells is 
negligible. On the small strip in the dense bottom where the market 
oysters were most abundant there is a very dense growth of young, 
but the rest of the bed is deficient in this respect. 
The following table gives the results of the several examinations of 
the beds: 
Details of Examination of Beds Between Fishing Point and Ballards Marsh 
Bocks. 
Station 
num- 
Date of ex- 
Mean 
depth 
of wa- 
ter. i 
Character of growth 
of market oysters. 
Oysters caught per 
square yard. 
Estimated quantity oys- 
ters per acre. 
ber. 
amination . 
Spat. 
Culls. 
Counts. 
Seed. 
Market. 
Total. 
93 
Aug. 14,1909 
Feet. 
7.5 
Dense 
0.0 
0.0 
7.0 
Bush. 
0 
Bush. 
85 
Bush. 
85 
95 
do 
7.5 
do 
.0 
56. 4 
37.3 
366 
451 
817 
98 
do 
7.0 
Very scattering 
.3 
.0 
3.1 
2 
37 
39 
464 
Sept. 3,1909 
8.5 
do 
.0 
.0 
2.0 
0 
25 
25 
96 
Aug. 14, 1909 
8.5 
Depleted 
.0 
.0 
• .0 
0 
0 
0 
97 
do 
8.5 
do 
.0 
.0 
.0 
0 
0 
0 
463 
Sept. 3,1909 
8.5 
do 
.0 
.0 
.0 
0 
0 
0 
BALLARDS MARSH ROCK. 
This is the bed called by Winslow “ Bally Smash,” probably an un- 
conscious attempt to render a provincial pronunciation phonetically. 
It is the westernmost bed of Public Ground No. 6, Isle of Wight 
County. It follows the line of a shoal which sets offshore from Bal- 
lards Marsh. 
Its extent and condition are epitomized in the following table: 
Oyster Growth on Ballards Marsh Rock. 
Character of growth of market oysters. 
Area. 
Oysters per acre. 
Estimated 
content of 
market 
oysters. 
Seed. 
Market. 
Scattering 
Acres. 
4 
33 
142 
Bushels. 
152 
191 
45 
Bushels. 
31 
24 
7 
Bushels. 
124 
792 
894 
Very scattering 
Depleted 
Total 
179 
1,810 
