32 
OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 
The depleted bottom constitutes nearly two-thirds of the total 
area of the beds as charted. At no place does it promise to yield 
during the present season more than 2§ bushels per day, and the 
major part of it is practically barren. 
The growth of young oysters is very good on the shallower parts 
of the beds, especially on those portions yielding a scattering growth 
of market stock, where a tonger could take an average of about 15 
bushels per day. On the dense areas as a whole the young growth is 
less abundant, the estimated average yield being about 11 bushels 
per day, the heaviest growth being on two small shoals between the 
inner end of Browns Shoal and the shipyard at Newport News. 
On all of the productive areas there is an abundance of shells 
suitable for catching a set of spat, but the depleted areas are prac- 
tically bare and give no promise of recuperation under any natural 
conditions. 
The following exhibits the results of examinations: 
Details of Examination of Browns Shoal Rocks. 
Station 
num- 
Date of exami- 
nation.. 
Mean 
depth 
of 
water. | 
Character of growth 
of market oysters. 
Oysters caught per 
square yard. 
Estimated quantity oys- 
ters per acre. 
ber . 
Spat. 
Culls. 
Counts. 
Seed. 
Market. 
Total. 
112 
Aug. 16,1909 
Feet. 
9. 5 
Dense 
4.7 
31.9 
12.0 
Bush. 
238 
Bush. 
165 
Bush. 
403 
122 
do 
9.5 
do 
.0 
24.6 
7.9 
160 
109 
269 
123 
do 
8.5 
do 
1.3 
21.6 
9.6 
149 
133 
282 
126 
do 
8.0 
do 
.0 
10.7 
7.3 
- 70 
101 
171 
139 
Aug. 17,1909 
9.5 | 
do 
1.6 
6.4 
32.0 
52 
443 
495 
141 
do 
11.5 
do 
2.0 
11.2 
9.6 
86 
133 
219 
142 
do 
14.5 
do 
7.2 
15.6 
12.8 
148 
177 
325 
144 
do 
10.5 ! 
do 
1.5 
18.0 
10.5 
127 
145 
272 
145 
do 
12.5 
do 
1.5 
11.0 
14.5 
81 
200 
281 
146 
do 
13.5 1 
do 
.0 
9.2 
24.4 
60 
337 
397 
450 
Sept. 1,1909 
10.0 
do 
5.2 
37.8 
4.4 
280 
61 
341 
459 
Sept. 3,1909 
10.5 
do 
5.0 
21.2 
10.8 
170 
149 
319 
460 
. do 
10.5 
do 
2.1 
16.2 
20.8 
119 
287 
406 
524 
Sept. 10, 1909 
11.5 
.do 
.0 
4.0 
9.0 
26 
124 
150 
115 
Aug. 16,1909 
9.0 
Scattering 
.3 
28.7 
6.3 
188 
87 
27£ 
118 
do 
7.0 
do 
.6 
21.2 
4.0 
141 
55 
196 
119 
do 
6.0 
do 
.9 
12.8 
2.3 
89 
32 
121 
120 
do 
6.0 
do 
4.5 
11.8 
2.5 
100 
34 
134 
136 
Aug. 17,1909 
10.0 
do 
3.6 
25.6 
4.4 
190 
61 
251 
138 
do 
9.0 
do 
2.0 
31.0 
4.0 
214 
55 
269 
143 
do 
12.5 
do 
.0 
2.8 
6.4 
18 
88 
106 
451 
Sept. 1,1909 
7.5 
do 
12.3 
34.0 
3.0 
301 
41 
342 
452 
do 
11.0 
do 
7.3 
20.4 
5.8 
180 
80 
260 
453 
. .do 
10.0 
do 
2.9 
12.1 
4.6 
98 
64 
162 
117 
Aug. 16,1909 
5.0 
Very scattering — 
.2 
12.9 
2.2 
85 
30 
115 
125 
do 
10.0 
do 
.3 
3.7 
3.3 
26 
45 
71 
135 
Aug. 17,1909 
11.0 
do 
2.0 
6.0 
3.2 
52 
44 
96 
140 
do 
11.0 
I do 
.0 
8.8 
2.8 
57 
39 
96 
457 
Sept. 3,1909 
11.0 
do 
8.2 
26.2 
2.5 
223 
35 
258 
458 
do 
10.5 
do 
2.9 
9.6 
3.8 
81 
52 
133 
523 
Sept. 10, 1909 
10.0 
do 
2.0 
12.5 
2.0 
94 
28 
122 
113 
Aug. 16,1909 
12.6 
Depleted 
.0 
5.7 
2.0 
37 
28 
65 
114 
do 
10.5 
do 
.0 
.0 
.0 
0 
0 
0 
116 
do . 
12.0 
do , 
.0 
.3 
.0 
2 
0 
2 
124 
do.. 
12.0 
do 
.0 
.0 
.0 
0 
0 
0 
137 
Aug. 17,1909 
12.0 
do 
.0 
.0 
.0 
0 
0 
0 
449 
Sept. 1,1909 
18.0 
do 
.0 
.0 
.0 
0 
0 
0 
454 
do 
18.0 
do 
.0 
2,3 
1.4 
15 
19 
34 
455 
do 
10.5 
do 
.0 
.0 
.0 
0 
0 
0 
456 
do 
11.0 
do 
.0 
.0 
.0 
0 
0 
0 
522 
Sept. 10, 1909 
24.0 
do 
.0 
.0 
.0 
0 
0 
0 
567 
Sept. 14, 1909 
20.5 
do 
1 
.0 
.0 
.0 
0 
0 
0 
