OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 63 
Total Content op Young or Seed Oysters, Public Grounds No. 2 Nansemond 
County and No. 6 Isle op Wight County. 
Name of rock. 
Dense. 
Scatter- 
ing. 
Very 
scatter- 
ing. 
Depleted . 
Total. 
Larkins 
.Bush. 
Bush. 
Bush. 
Bush. 
390 
Bush. 
390 
Nansemond Ridge 
Drum 
12,580 
59,318 
1,748 
9,996 
854 
27,370 
5,890 
4,386 
2, 112 
109,264 
8,492 
7,779 
8,111 
537 
Newport News 
372 
2,025 
893 
996 
Cruiser Shoal 
3,780 
150 
1,326 
Flat Rock, etc 
275 
112 
High Shoal 
3,216 
1,651 
1,392 
760 
7,019 
7,654 
10,077 
28,021 
915 
Trout Shoal 
4,112 
1,989 
1.652 
1,890 
Dog Shoal 
' 2,480 
8,325 
915 
770 
4,838 
2,700 
0 
Fishing Point 
13,706 
0 
3,290 
0 
Between Fishing Point and Ballards Marsh 
Ballards Marsh 
608 
6,303 
6,590 
13,501 
Total 
| 31,818 
1 
86,050 
26,854 
57,038 
201,760 
In individuals the small oysters are five or six times as numerous 
as the market oysters and in measured quantity they are about 
twice as abundant. On the dense areas they bulk about the same as 
the market oysters, but as individuals they are two or three times as 
many. On the scattered area they much exceed the market 
oysters in numbers and are more than double them in measured 
quantity. As both of these types of bottom are almost invariably 
supplied with cultch in the form of clean shells, it can be safely 
assumed that their future is assured under ordinarily fair conditions 
and provided the beds are not stripped under infractions of the 
culling law. 
On the area of very scattering growth the quantity of young in 
nearly every case materially exceeds that of market oysters. Almost 
the sole exception is Nansemond Ridge Rock, where the young and 
market oysters are about equal in quantity, the former being de- 
cidedly deficient in all places excepting close to the denser areas 
below a line between Pig and Barrel Points. 
Excepting Nansemond Ridge Rock the very scattering areas bear 
an average of about two and one-half times as many bushels of 
young as of old oysters per acre, and there is nearly everywhere a 
sufficient abundance of shells to justify the prediction of future 
regeneration if man will permit. On Nansemond Ridge the fu- 
ture of the very scattering areas, except in a few places, appears 
unpromising. 
The depleted area is, on the whole, deficient in shells and young 
oysters, and if we except one or two spots near Nansemond Light, 
the outer end of Ballards Marsh Rock, and several other places 
quite close to the productive areas, there is but little probability 
that any of the area will become naturally productive. 
68427—11 14 
