83 
OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 
DESCRIPTION OF CHARTS. 
The public grounds are platted from the published sheets of the Baylor survey, and 
their boundaries are shown in broken black lines. 
The depths, which are expressed in feet as referred to mean low water and the 
symbols designating the consistency of the bottom, are the characteristics selected 
from a large number of observations. The oyster beds are included within solid red 
lines, and the density of the oyster growth is indicated by the relative intensity of 
the shading, and is based on the quantity of culled oysters which can be taken by a 
tonger working nine hours per day, not including the time occupied in culling. 
Chart 1 covers the area from which market oysters only may be removed, and the 
bases of the classifications of oyster growth are as follows: Dense, yielding over 8 
bushels of market oysters per day’s tonging; scattering, between 5 and 8 bushels; 
very scattering, between 3 and 5 bushels; depleted, under 3 bushels. 
Chart 2 embraces the beds of the upper part of James River, on which the cull law 
is inoperative so far as it pertains to the size of the oysters, and which are therefore 
devoted to the production of seed oysters for replanting. The classification is as 
follows: Dense, yielding over 12 bushels of seed oysters per day’s tonging; scattering, 
between 8 and 12 bushels; very scattering, between 4 and 8 bushels; depleted, under 
4 bushels. 
The unshaded areas within the boundaries of the public beds as charted represent 
barren bottom. 
