OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 
51 
MOORES ROCK. 
The bed known to the oystermen by this name lies on a shoal 
surrounded by deep water about halfway between Point of Shoals 
Light-House and Mulberry Point. It consists principally of bottom 
bearing a dense growth, with a scattering fringe along the southern 
half of its western edge. Its general extent and condition are as 
follows : 
Oyster Growth on Moores Rock. 
Character of growth. 
Area. 
Oysters 
per acre. 
Estimated 
total con- 
tent of 
oysters. 
Dense 
Acres. 
37 
6 
Bushels. 
265 
168 
Bushels. 
9,805 
1,008 
Scattering 
Total 
43 
10,813 
On the dense area the oysters, as developed by the survey, range 
between 134 and 351 bushels per acre, and it is estimated that the 
bottom as a whole will produce about 28 bushels of oysters per day 
of tonging. 
The area of scattering growth lies in the deeper water close to the 
adjoining barren bottom, and its estimated yield to the tonger is 
about 8 bushels per day. The deposit of shells is good over the 
entire area of the bed. 
Details op Examination of Moores Rock. 
Station 
num- 
Date of ex- 
amination. 
Mean 
depth 
of wa- 
ter. 
Character of growth. 
Oysters caught per 
square yard. 
Estimated 
quantity 
ber. 
Spat. 
Culls. 
Counts. 
oysters per 
acre. 
241 
Aug. 20,1909 
Feet. 
9.5 
Dense 
33.4 
35.4 
0.0 
Bushels. 
351 
265 
Aug. 23,1909 
10.5 
19.6 
19.2 
2.5 
225 
266 
.....do 
6.5 
...do .. 
28.3 
33.4 
3.3 
350 
267 
do 
5.5 
do 
13.3 
13.0 
.0 
134 
242 
Aug. 20,1909 
20.5 
Scattering 
10.4 
. 12.5 
.0 
168 
HORSEHEAD ROCK. 
This bed covers several shoals along the edge of deep water south 
of Mulberry Point, and for the purpose of this report is considered to 
include a small patch close to the Baylor line to the eastward. The 
apex of the bed is detached, but the remainder is continuous, though 
of varying productiveness. East of this rock and north of Marshy 
Island Hock the survey found small patches of oysters close to the 
Baylor line, adjoining or included in various planted beds. This re- 
gion is shown on the charts, included within red lines but without 
shading. 
