OYSTER BEDS OP JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 31 
Details of Examination of Aaron 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 fecre. 
ber. 
Spat. 
Culls. 
Counts. 
Seed. 
Market. 
Total. 
392 
Aug. 26, 1909. 
Feet. 
8.5 
Dense 
0.0 
6.0 
9.7 
Bush. 
39 
Bush. 
134 
Bush. 
173 
396 
do 
5.5 
do 
5.7 , 
28.0 
4.7 
219 
65 
284 
389 
do 
5.5 
Scattering 
1.6 
19.2 
2.4 
135 
33 
168 
400 
do 
6.0 
Very scattering — 
.0 
.0 
1.7 
0 
23 
23 
390 
do 
5.0 
Depleted 
6.7 
24.2 
1.3 
201 
18 
219 
391 
do 
8.5 
.....do 
5.0 
10.3 
.3 
90 
4 
94 
394 
do 
7.5 
do 
.0 
.0 
.0 
0 
0 
0 
395 
do 
6.5 
do 
5.3 
18.7 
.0 
156 
0 
156 
BROWNS SHOAL ROCKS. 
Included under this name are a number of small rocks, separated 
by depleted and barren bottom lying at the extreme lower end of 
Public Ground No. 1, Warwick County, just above Newport News. 
The productive portions lie on Browns Shoal and a number of other 
shoal spots in the vicinity. The extent and present condition of the 
rocks as a whole are shown in the following table : 
Oyster Growth on Browns Shoal Rocks. 
Character of growth of market oysters. 
Area. 
Oysters per acre. 
Estimated 
content of 
market 
oysters. 
Seed. 
Market. 
Dense 
Acres. 
68 
44 
27 
226 
Bushels. 
126 
142 
88 
5 
Bushels. 
183 
54 
39 
4 
Bushels. 
12,444 
2,376 
1,053 
904 
Scattering 
Very scattering 
Depleted 
Total 
365 
16,777 
The dense area is found in seven patches, of which the largest, 
covering about 25 acres, is on a shoal west of Browns Shoal sur- 
rounding a watchhouse or covered pierhead. The areas as a whole 
are quite productive of market oysters, and it is estimated that an 
industrious tonger working nine hours per day could take between 
10 and 40 bushels of oysters, the average at all places examined 
being about 15 bushels. 
The areas of scattering growth are three in number, lying on the 
ends of Browns Shoal proper and a small shoal west of it, inshore of 
the watchhouse above alluded to. They carry a depth of between 
about 4 or 5 and 12 feet at low water, and their productiveness is such 
that a tonger could take an average of between 5 and 6 bushels of 
market oysters per day. 
The areas of very scattering growth are a number of small patches 
nearly all lying between the more prolific areas and the edges of the 
bed. They are nearly all covered by about 10 feet of water at low 
tide, and bear oysters in sufficient quantity to yield to the tonger 
between 3 and 4 bushels per day. 
68427—11 12 
