36 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 
The area covered by scattering marketable oysters stretches from 
the western side of the longer shoal across some intervening deeper 
water to two small shoals to the westward. Over the whole area the 
density of growth is such that about 6 bushels of oysters may be 
taken per day. 
p The very scattered growth is in three areas fringing the denser 
parts of the bed. Its productiveness varies between areas which 
will yield 2 \ and those which will yield 4J bushels per day, the gen- 
eral average at all places examined being about 3J bushels. 
The best of the depleted bottom, which is in the areas lying on the 
edge of the deep-water channel, will yield about 2J bushels per day, 
while the inshore area and that lying in the midst of the scattering 
growth will not yield an average of over 1 bushel. 
The young growth is in good quantity, though not so abundant as 
on Kettle Hole Rock. On the dense and scattering areas it is suffi- 
cient to yield an average of about 15 bushels per day. On the very 
scattering area near the inshore end of the eastern edge of the rock it 
is in about the same abundance, but elsewhere it will yield not more 
than 4J bushels per day’s tonging. On the best of the depleted bot- 
tom, along the edge of the deep-water channel, it is estimated that 
about 10 or 11 bushels per day could be taken by the tonger, but on 
other parts of the depleted area young oysters are practically absent. 
The oysters on this bed, as on all others on this shore of the river, 
are of fair size, the marketable stock averaging about 350 per bushel 
and the young approximately 750. 
The following observations were made : 
Details of Examination of Thomas Point 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. 
127 
Aug. 17 ; 1909 
Feet. 
12.5 
Dense 
0.8 
2.1 
11.2 
Bush. 
19 
Bush. 
154 
Bush. 
173 
132 
do 
12.5 
.....do 
9.6 
33.0 
8.9 
277 
123 
400 
366 
Aug. 26,1909 
8.5 
do 
3.9 
33.1 
10.3 
241 
142 
383 
367 
do 
8.5 
do 
13.4 
13.8 
5.8 
177 
80 
257 
374 
do 
13.0 
do 
5.8 
13.6 
5.5 
126 
76 
202 
128 
Aug. 17,1909 
14.5 
Scattering 
2.0 
21.2 
6.0 
151 
83 
234 
129 
do 
12.5 
do 
2.5 
24.0 
4.5 
172 
62 
234 
130 
do 
13.5 
do 
1.5 
9.5 
5.5 
71 
76 
147 
131 
do 
9.5 
do 
5.5 
24.0 
5.5 
192 
76 
268 
160 
Aug. 18,1909 
9.0 
do 
3.0 
31.1 
5.7 
221 
79 
300 
161 
do 
9.0 
do 
2.9 
27.7 
5.1 
199 
70 
269 
368 
Aug. 26,1909 
8.5 
do 
10.0 
28.6 
1.8 
251 
25 
276 
372 
do 
11.0 
do 
2.3 
13.2 
7.1 
101 
98 
199 
162 
Aug. 18,1909 
13.0 
Very scattering 
1.2 
13.5 
2.4 
97 
33 
130 
166 
do 
15.5 
do 
2.7 
45.9 
5.5 
316 
76 
392 
371 
Aug. 26,1909 
14.0 
do 
.0 
4.5 
3.3 
29 
46 
75 
375 
do 
17.0 
do 
.0 
6.8 
3.6 
44 
50 
94 
376 
do 
13.0 
do 
.0 
4.5 
3.8 
29 
52 
81 
168 
Aug. 18,1909 
9.5 
Depleted 
1.3 
18.5 
1.8 
129 
25 
154 
172 
do 
15.0 
do 
2.7 
24.6 
2.7 
177 
37 
214 
373 
Aug. 26,1909 
13.0 
do 
.0 
1.2 
.9 
8 
12 
20 
377 
do 
13.0 
do 
.3 
1.0 
.7 
8 
10 
18 
