Qass cj // v 7 # & Book ~ / / 1 L I Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/conditionextento01moor DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND LABOR BUREAU OF FISHERIES GEORGE M. BOWERS, Coina»{»»ion«* CONDITION AND EXTENT OF THE OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA Bureau of Fisheries Document No, 729 WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1910 .: ■■■■ ' :■:■',"■• ■":■>■ :.-', ■' ' .-•':■■-; ■■:•'■ -',;•;:■■'■•- :V- .V .:V.,: '.V . •'■.■-■•.:■----.-■-'■-.•■<• .■ : ■ v--/. -',-.-., ■ '--' - - •:"•':. ■■>■■..■.■■,■..,■:■■. ■'■»,■?' ■■"'■■.; .■■'■■'•>.■■■'.:■ ■."■■:;..•. ■<■'..'.,:■■■:■ -.■,.■'...'..: ■'..'./ .■.'..-■■ ' ' ■/■•■• ■.■•■■'"■;.■"';«■:'■■■.■■■.'.■'.':■"■■ ■— .■.;';-■.■■.■..■;,;: ''■>■-■ :,"■-■■••• -''::\;Y.-^-'^:^r;.«\:,^:':-'- v .," s / ; :,:-, •. v ->;;■ ■■' -. .'"->■> v., w.V.-- •• ; .•■.-■■■:.■ -.-....'I:.-'- -■■., .■■,.•■■ :,, • ..-(■:- ■ ■ v. . v„ , -; v V- '•■ vv '" ■' ■ -■■'■ ' ■' ' ' . .-■■ '-' '■ •■' . •.-■ '" DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND LABOR BUREAU OF FISHERIES GEORGE M. BOWERS, Commissioner CONDITION AND EXTENT OF THE OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES £££ RIVER, VIRGINIA «*• Bureau of Fisheries Document No. 729 WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1910 i**&* CONDITION AND EXTENT OF THE OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA By H. F. Moore Assistant, U. ^Bureau of Fisheries Bureau of Fisheries Document No. 729 PREFACE. On February 3, 1909, the Bureau of Fisheries received from Hon. Claude A. Swanson, governor of Virginia, a communication inclosing the following resolution of the Commissioners of Fisheries of the State : Resolved, That the governor be requested to enlist the services of the United States Bureau of Fisheries in determining and defining the fertile and the barren areas in James River, marking and platting same, provided it can be done without expendi- ture by the State. At the urgent solicitation of Governor Swanson, and upon the con- viction that the work would prove of value as a guide for contem- plated legislation by the State in respect to the future administration of the public oyster grounds, the request for the survey was acceded to, the steamer Fish Hawk and civilian assistants were detailed for the work, and Dr. H. F. Moore, assistant in the Bureau of Fisheries, was directed to assume charge. The erection of signals was begun early in July and completed by August 7. The actual examination of the oyster beds commenced on August 9 and extended, with only such interruptions as were due to the weather, to September 14, the survey thus covering the period just prior to the opening of the oyster season, when the beds were in their optimum condition. Under the terms of the resolution quoted above, the Bureau has not felt justified in offering advice as to the future treatment of the beds, and the following report is therefore confined to statements of fact and a short discussion of their several obvious avenues of application. George M. Bowers, Commissioner. United States Bureau of Fisheries, Washington, D. C, December 1, 1909. 3 CONTENTS Page. Previous surveys 7 Methods of the present survey 9 Oyster rocks 13 Market oyster- area — Hollands , 14 Nansemond Ridge 15 Larkins 17 Drum Shoal 18 Newport News 19 Cruiser Shoal 20 Flat Rock and adjacent small beds 21 High Shoal , 22 Trout Shoal '. 23 Dog Shoal 25 Fishing Point 26 Between Fishing Point and Ballards Marsh 27 Ballards Marsh 28 Creek Channel 29 Aaron Shoal 30 Browns Shoal 31 Gun _ 33 Kettle Hole 33 Thomas Point 35 Blunt Point 37 White Shoal 38 Seed oyster area — Jail Island 39 Wreck Shoal. 41 Dry Shoals 42 Point of Shoals 43 Swash 45 Mulberry Swash 46 Marshy Island 47 Long Shoal 48 V Rock 50 Moores 51 Horsehead 51 Deepwater Shoals 53 Rock Wharf Shoals 54 Beds between Rock Wharf Shoals and Spindle Rock 54 Spindle 55 Days Point Shoal 56 5 6 CONTENTS. Page. Public grounds 56 No. 2 Nansemond County and No. 6 Isle of Wight County 60 No. 1 Warwick County below Deep Creek 64 Minor public grounds 67 No. 1 Warwick County above Deep Creek 67 No. 1 Isle of Wight County 70 Summary 72 Market oyster area 72 Seed oyster area 77 Conclusion 80 Description of charts 83 CONDITION AND EXTENT OF THE OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. By H. F. Moore, Assistant, U. S. Bureau of Fisheries. PREVIOUS SURVEYS. Prior to the investigations made by the Bureau of Fisheries in July, August, and September, 1909, two surveys of the James River oyster beds had been made, neither of which professed to delineate the rocks accurately or to furnish detailed information concerning their productiveness and condition. The first of these surveys was a reconnoissance made in 1878 by Lieut, (then Master) Francis Winslow, U. S. Navy, in command of the Coast and Geodetic Survey schooner Palinurus. The second was the survey of the public grounds by Mr. J. B. Baylor, assistant, Coast and Geodetic Survey, under the authority of the State, in 1892 and preceding years. As Winslow himself states, his "examination of these beds was a very hurried one, and the delineation must be regarded as merely approximate, being the result of a hasty reconnoissance." The chart published with the report delineates merely the general out- lines of the oyster-bearing areas, without attempting to show the smaller individual rocks or the density of growth, and the text is of very general character. Comparing the chart with the results of the recent survey, however, it is evident that Lieutenant Winslow' s brief investigation must have shown with considerable accuracy the general distribution of oysters in the James and Nansemond rivers at that time. The differences between the general results of the two surveys are such as could be readily produced by the lapse of time and the vicissitudes through which the beds have passed under the operation of natural and human agencies. Some areas have become depleted through the intensive fishing they have sustained, or from the effects of freshets and other physical factors, while on the other hand some appear to have had their boundaries extended or have become merged with adjacent beds through the operations of the tongers. 7 8 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. The Baylor survey was of an entirely different character from that conducted by Winslow. It was in no sense an examination of the oyster beds themselves, but primarily and avowedly a delimitation of boundaries which included the recognized or reputed oyster-bear- ing bottom, as pointed out by local commissioners or representa- tives of each oyster-producing county. It is the writer's understand- ing that the county commissioners were, under the state law ordering the survey, the final arbiters with whom rested the decision whether or not a given area should be included within the boundaries of the public grounds. So far as can be learned no examinations whatever were made on the beds, the commissioners using their judgment and local knowledge in selecting the corners and the engineers with their theodolites cutting in the points indicated from stations on the shore. Whether or not beds were omitted from the confines of the public grounds so located can not now be satisfactorily determined, owing to the development of the planting industry, outside of the Baylor lines, on all or most of the available bottom. It is evident, however, that in the region under discussion no very extensive rocks were dis- regarded, and a comparison of the results of the recent survey with that of 1892 shows that the Baylor lines, considered as a broad scheme of delimitation, conform closely with the general distribution of the rocks. At several places, notably on Gun and Kettle Hole rocks, parts of the natural beds undoubtedly fell outside of the lines, but the writer hazards the suggestion that this may not have been through inadvertence but because those parts of the rocks may have been already taken up as private holdings. It has been claimed, and Mr. Baylor himself has so stated in official communications to the State, that a very considerable area of barren bottom, amounting to many thousand acres, was included within the public grounds. That this should be so, under the sys- tem adopted by the local commissioners and under the desire to assure the inclusion of all naturally productive bottom, was inevi- table. Moreover, the boundaries of the beds are irregular curves, while the including surveyed boundaries must be straight lines, for purposes of administration and policing as long and unbroken as possible. To have excluded the greater part of this barren bottom would have necessitated a careful location of the natural rocks and the breaking up of the public grounds into a considerable number of small or moderate areas instead of segregating them into a few large ones. To what extent the claim that great areas of barren bottom are included in the public grounds is justified will appear from the accom- panying charts and in the following descriptions and discussions. OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 9 METHODS OF THE PRESENT SURVEY. To furnish authoritative and definite information as to the actual extent and condition of the natural rocks and the character of the bottoms embraced within the boundaries of the public beds, it was necessary to depart widely from the methods of the previous surveys. It was decided to confine the investigation wholly to the public beds, passing their boundaries only far enough to give assurance that the entire area had been covered. Nothing was to be gained by an examination of the excluded areas, as it' is now almost impos- sible to determine whether natural rocks were omitted from the grounds laid out in 1892, and it is too late to correct such omissions if they could be determined. For legal purposes, all that is not avowedly public ground is barren bottom, and if held under leasehold from the State can not be alienated from the possession of the lessees as long as the law has been complied with. The methods followed have been essentially those pursued in for- mer surveys conducted by the Bureau of Fisheries, with the changes and improvements dictated by recent experience and the local conditions. The Coast and Geodetic Survey furnished projections on which were platted the triangulation points used in former surveys by that bureau. Several of these points, including the light-houses, were " recovered," and from them the signals, usually tripods, erected where necessary, were cut in and platted by means of the sextant and 3-arm protractor. This method, while lacking the great precision attained by means of the best theodolites and the nice computations employed by the Coast Survey in its work, insures an accuracy more than sufficient for the purposes of an oyster survey. The oyster beds were discovered by soundings with a lead line, but principally by means of a length of chain dragged over the bottom at the end of a copper wire running from the sounding boat. The wire was wound on a reel and its unwound length was adjusted to the depth of water and the speed of the launch, so that the chain was always on the bottom. Whenever the chain touched a shell or an oyster the shock or vibration was transmitted up the wire to the hand of a man whose sole duty it was to give heed to such signals and report them to the recorder. The launches from which the soundings were made were run at a speed of between 3 and 4 miles per hour, usually on ranges ashore to insure the rectitude of the lines. At intervals of three min- utes — in some cases two minutes — the position of the boat was determined by two simultaneous sextant observations of the angles between a set of three signals, the middle one of which was common to the two angles, the position being immediately platted on the bo^t sheet. At regular intervals of twenty seconds, as measured by 10 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. a clock under the observation of the recorder, the leadsman made a sounding and reported to the recorder the depth of water and the character of the bottom, immediately after which the man at the wire reported the character of the chain indications since the last sounding — that is, whether they showed barren bottom or dense, scattering, or very scattering growths of oysters. With the boat running at 3 miles per hour the soundings were between 80 and 90 feet apart and, as the speed of the boat was uni- form, the location of each was determinable within a yard or two by dividing the platted distance between the positions determined by the sextant by the number of soundings. The chain, of course, gave a continuous indication of the character of the bottom, but the record was made at the regular twenty-second intervals observed in sounding. The chain, while indicating the absence or the relative abundance of objects on the bottom, gives no information as to whether they are shells or oysters, nor, if the latter, their size and condition. To obtain this data it was necessary to supplement the observations already described by others more definite in respect to the desired particulars. Whenever in the opinion of the officer in charge of the sounding boat such information was required, a numbered buoy was dropped, the time and number being entered in the sounding book. Another launch, following the sounding boat, anchored alongside the buoy, and a quantity of the oysters and shells were tonged up, separated by sizes, and counted. In former surveys made by the writer, in order to arrive at an estimate of the density of the oyster growth a definite area, usually 5 yards, was staked off by means of steel-shod pikes and everything was removed from the bottom and counted. This method is accurate, but slow and difficult in deep water, and, as it was desirable to make a large number of observations, the system developed in the Maryland survey was adopted. This consists essentially in making a known number of "grabs" with the oyster tongs, exercising care to clean the bottom of oysters as thoroughly as possible at each grab. In a given depth of water and using the same boat and tongs an oysterman will cover practically the same area of the bottom at each grab, but, other factors remaining the same, the area of the grab will decrease with an increase in the depth. Careful measurements were made and tabulated showing the area per grab covered by the tonger employed on the work at each foot of depth of water and for each pair of tongs and boat used. With this data, and knowing the number of "grabs," the number of oysters of each size per square yard of bottom was readily obtainable by simple calculation. The following example will illustrate the data obtained and the form of the record: OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. H Department of Commerce and Labor. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. Field record of examinations of oyster beds. General locality : James River. Local name of oyster ground: Between Rock wharf and Spindle rock. Date: August 28, 1909. Time: 9.25 a. m. Angle: F. 140. Buoy No.: 23. Depth: 7 feet. Bottom: Hard. Condition of water: Medium clear. Density: Temperature: Current: Stage of tide: Tongman: Lawrence, inflatboat. No. grabs made: 8. Tongs: 14 feet. Total area covered: 3% square yards .. r— lin.: 27. 1 in.— Xin.: 69. No. oysters taken: j x ^ _ 4 {n . 1Q 4 ^ . § Quantity shells: £ bushel. I Spat per square yard: 7.7. Culls per square yard: 19.7. Counts per square yard: 3.7. X in.=cull limit prescribed by law. This furnishes an exact statement of the condition of the bed at a spot which can be platted on the chart with error in position of not more than a few yards. From the data obtained a close estimate may be formed of the bushels of oysters and shells per acre in the vicinity of the examination and, by multiplying the observations, for the bed as a whole. In the course of the survey 590 observations were made at various places, principally on the natural rocks, but some on the barren bottoms also. In former surveys by the Bureau the relative density of the oyster growth has been considered solely from the standpoint of the total quantity of oysters. That method is satisfactory where the depth is fairly uniform throughout the region examined, but was not con- sidered accurate enough for the purposes of the present report. With a given quantity of oysters per square yard or acre, a bed lying in shoal water is more valuable commercially than one in deep water, owing to the fact that the labor of the tonger is more efficient in the former. As has been pointed out, the area covered by a " grab " decreases with an increase in depth, and, moreover, the deeper the water the greater is the labor involved in making the "grab" and the smaller is the number of grabs which can be made per hour or per day. With 14-foot tongs used from a canoe, such as is employed 12 OYSTEE BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. on the James River, an oysterman can cover twice as much bottom per grab in 4 feet as he can in 8 feet, and about two and one-half times as much as he can using 20-foot tongs in 16 feet. Using the tongs stated, the average tonger observed in Maryland, and the data will hold in Virginia, will make about 2.7 grabs per minute in 4 feet, 2.6 in 8 feet, and 1.8 in 16 feet of water. In other words, if he can cover 1 square yard of the bottom in a given time in 16 feet, he can cover 1.7 yards in 8 feet, and 3.3 yards in 4 feet of water. It is obvious that if a tonger in a given time is to obtain the same quantity of oysters in each of these depths, the oyster growth must lie on the bottom with a density inversely to the areas stated above. The value of a bed, the price per bushel of the oysters being the same, depends on the quantity which a man can take in a given time, and it therefore happens that a bed in deep water may be valueless com- mercially, while another rock, with the same density of growth but covered by shoaler water, may be tonged with profit. Based on these principles, and taking into consideration the number of oysters per bushel on the different beds as determined by actual counts, tables were prepared showing the number of oysters per square yard for each foot of depth necessary to yield to the tonger 1 bushel of oysters per day of tonging. From these data the beds were divided into areas, according to the number of bushels of oysters which they were capable of yielding per day to the tonger, based on nine hours of actual tonging and disregarding the time occupied in culling. The bottom was divided into 5 categories: Barren, on which there were neither shells nor oysters; depleted, on which the tonger could take less than 3 bushels of market oysters or 4 bushels of seed, according to location; very scattering growth, on which between 3 and 5 bushels of oysters or 4 and 8 bushels of seed could be taken; scattering growth, on which the limits were 5 and 8 bushels of market oysters or 8 and 12 bushels of seed; and areas of dense growth, on which upward of 8 bushels of market oysters or 12 bushels of seed could be taken per day. During the survey 10,440 soundings were taken, and the position of the boat was instrumentally determined at 1,369 places. The chain was dragged for 226 miles, giving continuous indications of the char- acter of the bottom, which were plotted on the chart at 10,440 places. The density of oyster growth was determined by the 590 biological observations already referred to, and the extent and boundaries of the areas as charted were fixed by a combination of these observa- tions and the 10,440 records of the continuous chain readings. Dur- ing the work the writer was in charge of the sounding boat and in constant touch with all operations. The biological observations were all under the immediate charge of Mr. T. E. B. Pope, whose OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 13 experience in such work is such as insured their accuracy both as to the area covered by the tonger and the quantity of oysters taken. The oysters brought in by the biological party were all examined by the author, who has also personally made all of the many calculations required and directly supervised the laying off of the areas on the charts. The basis for the determination of the character of the beds was decided on in advance, but the work of the survey was so planned that it was impossible for any member of the party to form an opinion as to the conditions found until after the field work was completed, and any involuntary prejudice was thus eliminated as far as possible. The author himself could form but a vague idea of the general results until the charts were completed and the report almost written. In the following pages the subject is gradually developed from a detailed description of the several parts of the individual natural rocks to a broad consideration of the market oyster and seed areas as a whole) and in every case there is given the principal data on which the several statements are based. OYSTER ROCKS. The term "oyster rock," as used in Virginia and employed in this report, is synonymous with natural oyster bed and is to be distin- guished from the term "public ground," which is used to designate the areas legally embraced within surveyed lines and set apart for the use of the public. The public grounds were intended to embrace all of the oyster rocks, and usually each includes a number of the latter within its confines. An oyster rock is usually a more or less definite area of bottom, limited by the extent of actual oyster growth. Originally, the bound- aries were rather definitely marked and the rocks were separated from one another by barren areas, but the operations of oystering have in many cases strewn oysters and shells over the surrounding bottom, so that in cases the original limits have become obscured and adjacent rocks merged. On the accompanying chart much of the bottom indicated as depleted really represents the areas which have been thus covered with scattered oysters and shells, and the term employed indicates that oysters and shells are very scarce rather than that they have been removed, though the latter is the fact in many cases. The so-called " depleted " areas are those on which oysters grow in quantities much below those which would make it commercially profitable to tong for them. The boundaries of the rocks, as shown by the red inclosing lines on the charts and as considered in the text, were defined by the 14 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. results of the chain indications, the methods of obtaining which have been before explained. All areas in which shells or oysters were encountered are regarded as rocks, but their character, so far as productiveness is concerned, was determined by tonging and counting the yield in the manner heretofore described. The de- pleted areas, except where it is shown that they contain a reasonably heavy growth of young, may be regarded as worthless from the viewpoint of the tonger; the areas of very scattering growth are of doubtful value except where a heavy growth of young oysters indi- cates potential improvement, while the areas of scattering and dense growth can be regarded as really productive natural rocks. The barren bottom, which is shown on the chart as an unshaded area outside of the red lines, is that on which neither oysters nor shells were found. A few small unshaded areas inclosed by red lines indi- cate beds the exact nature of which was not accurately determined. An attempt is made in this report to designate the rocks by the names employed by the oystermen, so far as these could be ascer- tained. In several cases, as for instance "Fishing Point Kocks" and "Marshy Island Rock," names have been coined to serve the purposes of reference and designation. The exact extent of Point of Shoals Rock was not definitely ascertained, and as shown on the chart it may not accord with the usage of the oystermen. There was also some doubt about the location of Kettle Hole and Thomas Point Rocks, but, as the names used in the text are clearly shown on the charts, there can be no confusion in the references. In a number of cases where the several beds were more or less continuous with one another arbitrary boundaries have been adopted, but,- as these usually pass through depleted areas and as in a later discus- sion the rocks are considered as a whole in their grouping in the public beds, the necessity for this treatment causes no loss in the final accuracy or exactitude. In the following pages the rocks are considered in detail. MARKET OYSTER AREA. HOLLANDS ROCK. This was intended to be included by the Baylor survey in Public Ground No. "3, Nansemond County, though it is stated that a mistake was made by which it was omitted. The area, 22 acres, which is described under this name included the only bottom within the public ground which gave any indication of being an oyster bed, though the examination showed it to be depleted. It is completely surrounded by planted beds. The results of the examination were as follows : OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. Details of Examination of Hollands Rock. 15 Station num- Date of ex- amination. Mean depth of wa- ter. Character of growth of market oysters. Oysters caught per square yard. Estimated quantity of oysters per acre. ber. Spat. Culls. Counts. Seed. Market. Total. 4 Aug. 9, 1909 Aug. 11,1909 Feet. 11.0 9.5 0.4 1.8 Bush. 3 Bush. 29 Bush. 32 30 do NANSEMOND RIDGE ROCK. This is the principal and only productive bed in Nansemond River. It lies mainly on and about a shoal extending through the middle of the river from Cedar Point almost to the middle of James River, opposite Newport News. At its northern end it is connected, by an unproductive, practically barren area, with three smaller rocks hereafter described. Its area, density of oyster growth, and con- tents are as follows: Oyster Growth on Nansemond Ridge Rock. Character of growth of market oysters. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated content Seed. Market. of market oysters. Acres. 85 446 294 782 Bushels. 148 133 34 35 Bushels. 93 60 37 11 Bushels. 7,905 26, 760 10,878 8,602 Total 1,607 54, 145 The market oysters on this bed are large, averaging at the time of the survey a few over 300 per bushel. They are said to attain a good condition, particularly late in the season, and are used mainly by shucking houses. The small oysters ran about 750 per bushel. The broadest, largest, and most productive part of the bed stretches northward from opposite Pig Point on the west side of the channel. It is estimated that this portion has an area of about 1,156 acres, of which 69 acres bear a dense growth of market oysters, 386 acres a scattering growth, 201 acres a very scattering growth, and 500 acres are depleted. The latter does not include the barren bottom embraced between the edges of the bed and the lines of the Baylor survey. It is further estimated that on the dense bottom a man tonging exclu- sively could take in a day about 10 bushels of market oysters, on the scattering area about 6 bushels, on the very scattering part about 3| bushels, while on the depleted area he could not take an average of over 1 bushel. These estimates are for the beginning of the season, 20201—10 2 16 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. and any considerable tonging of the beds would soon materially reduce the average catch per day. In the dense and scattering parts of this portion of the bed, especially near the crest of the ridge, there is a growth of small oysters so dense that an average of upward of 12 bushels could be tonged per day, and these areas can undoubtedly be regarded as both presently and prospectively productive. There is also a dense growth of young oysters on the inner parts of the depleted area opposite Nansemond River Light. On the areas of very scattering growth the small oysters are in even smaller quantity than the market oysters, but in places there are clean shells in sufficient quantity to indicate that under proper conditions a good set might occur and the bottom become fairly productive. Above a line drawn between Pig Point and Barrel Point the bed may be divided into two parts, one a tail-like continuation of the main bed running along the eastern edge of the channel and the other a detached portion lying on a shoal west of the channel, north of Lar- kins Rock. The former has 126 acres of depleted bottom and two small patches, one of scattering growth covering about 22 acres and the other of about 41 acres, on which the oysters are very scattering. The detached area covers about 260 acres, of which 15 are dense, 39 scattering, 51 very scattering, and 155 depleted. On the areas of dense and scattering growths of market oysters there is a heavy growth of culls, but the scattering and depleted areas are generally impoverished of young. On the two areas just described as lying above a line between Pig and Barrel points it is estimated that there are 15 acres of dense growth on which a man could tong an average of about 8 barrels of market oysters per day, 61 acres on which he could average about 5 bushels, 92 acres of very scattering growth where he could take about 4 bushels per day, and 281 acres of depleted bottom which will not yield 1 bushel per day. On the depleted area there are few young oysters and practically no shells. The barren bottom lying within this part of the Baylor survey, on which oysters do not now grow and appar- ently never have grown in marketable quantities, nearly equals all of the foregoing combined, covering about 430 acres. The barren and depleted bottom together aggregate about 711 acres, while all of the bottom which is capable of yielding even as little as 3 bushels per day, exclusive of the time consumed in culling, covers about 168 acres. In other words, at least 80 per cent of the area is at present commer- cially worthless. The observations, in addition to the sounding and chain investi- gations, on which the foregoing is based, are as follows : .OYSTER BEDS OP JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. Details of Examination op Nansemond Ridge Rocks. 17 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. 1 Aug. 9,1909 Sept. 13,1909 Sept. 14,1909 Aug. 10,1909 do Aug. 12,1909 do do Sept. 13,1909 Sept. 14, 1909 do do do do do Aug. 9,1909 Aug. 10,1909 Aug. 11,1909 Aug. 12,1909 do do Sept. 13,1909 Aug. 9,1909 do do Aug. 10,1909 do do do Aug. 11,1909 Aug. 12,1909 do do do Sept. 13,1909 do do Sept. 14,1909 do do do....... .....do Feet. 13.0 6.5 6.5 6.0 11.5 10.5 7.5 10.5 6.5 7.5 8.0 , 11.0 6.0 7.5 8.5 10.0 9.0 8.5 9.5 10.0 10.5 6.0 12.0 9.0 8.0 8.5 7.0 7.5 12.5 10.0 10.5 9.0 10.0 10.0 7.0 6.5 7.5 9.5 9.0 7.0 10.5 11.0 6.0 4.7 3.9 1.7 .2 .6 4.8 .2 2.3 1.8 45.0 4.0 5.3 5.3 3.4 2.9 .4 1.6 .9 .2 .8 .0 .0 3.5 8.4 1.8 2.1 .0 .0 .0 .5 .7 .4 .7 .2 .0 1.3 .0 .0 2.6 .0 .0 5.1 27.7 21.2 13.4 .0 12.4 13.3 .6 11.6 9.7 26.6 16.3 27.3 25.6 15.7 9.3 2.1 10.9 3.8 .4 2.4 .8 .0 20.0 23.9 13.3 4.5 .0 .0 .0 1.8 .9 .7 3.5 .7 .0 2.9 .0 .0 10.0 .0 .0 8.2 4.7 4.4 2.7 4.0 4.6 3.6 4.5 2.3 3.1 3.9 4.0 3.5 4.2 4.9 1.8 2.7 2.8 2.2 2.3 3.1 1.4 .9 .9 .6 .5 .9 .3 .4 .0 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.9 1.1 .2 .5 .0 .0 1.1 .0 .0 Bush. 72 209 163 98 1 85 111 5 90 75 466 132 212 201 124 79 16 81 31 4 21 5 153 210 98 43 8 10 7 27 6 27 82 Bush. 132 76 71 43 64 74 58 72 37 50 63 64 56 68 79 29 43 45 35 37 50 23 15 15 10 8 14 5 6 21 21 19 31 18 3 8 18 Bush. 204 549 .do 285 582 ...do 234 15 141 18 ...do 65 33 do 159 34 do 169 42 550 do do 77 127 576 do 125 577 do 529 578 579 do do 196 268 580 581 7 21 do do Very scattering . ..do 269 203 108 59 26 ..do 126 35 do 66 39 ....do 41 43 ...do 71 542 do 25 2 15 5 ....do 168 8 ..do 220 11 do 106 12 ...do 57 13 ...do 5 16 25 do do 6 36 ...do 29 38 ..do 31 40 ....do 26 41 ...do 58 547 ..do 24 548 do 3 551 do 35 574 575 do do 583 do 100 584 ...do 587 do... LARKINS ROCK. This is a small bed in Nansemond River at the extreme southwest corner of Public Ground No. 2. As developed by the survey it has an area of about 39 acres and a depth varying from 4J to 8 feet at mean-low water. It is stated that the product of this bed has been in demand by shucking houses, the size and quality being generally good and the condition fat, especially early in spring. The market oysters found by the survey averaged between 300 and 350 to the bushel and the small oysters about 750 per bushel. The bed at present bears market oysters at the average density of about 5 bushels per acre, though in spots the production is as high as 18 bushels. The young growth has an average density of about 10 bushels and a maximum of 31 bushels per acre. At the present time this bed must be regarded as depleted, as at none of the, spots examined could a man tong more than 2 bushels of oysters per day, and the average yield, taking the bed as a whole, 18 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. would be hardly more than one-half bushel per day. The young growth is sparse and the shells few. The bed bears the aspect of hav- ing been carried off bodily for planting purposes, a depredation to which its location makes it susceptible. The results of detailed ex- aminations are as follows : Details of Examination op Larkins 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. 20 Aug. 10,1909 Aug. 11,1909 do Sept. 13, 1909 do do Feet. 8.5 7.5 6.5 6.5 7.0 6.5 0.0 .0 .0 .0 .2 .0 0.0 .0 3.5 .0 2.7 .6 0.0 .0 .1 .0 1.1 .6 Bush. 23 31 4 Bush. 2 18 10 Bush. 27 do 28 do 25 544 545 546 do do ..do 49 14 DRUM SHOAL ROCK. This is a small bed located at the northwest corner of Public Ground No. 2 in Nansemond County. Its area, density of oyster growth, and estimated contents are as follows: Oyster Growth on Drum Shoal Rock. Character of growth of market oysters. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated content of Seed. Market. market oysters. Acres. 19 14 95 Bushels. 92 61 62 Bushels. 50 39 29 Bushels. 950 546 2,755 Total 128 4,251 This bed was doubtless originally restricted to the area of the shoal which is now covered by the scattering and very scattering growth, but oysters and shells have become scattered over the sur- rounding bottom and it is now connected, by means of a depleted area, with Nansemond Ridge Rock on the south and Newport News Rock on the west. The scattering growth lies in a depth of from 6 to 8 feet at mean low water and the market oysters grow in such quantity that a tonger of average ability can take about 5 bushels per day. The very scattering growth is at the eastern side of the shoal and has oysters in sufficient numbers to yield about 3% bushels per day. The density of growth shown for the depleted area in the table pro- duced above is in excess of the actual conditions, as the examina- OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 19 tions on which, it was based were taken in close proximity to the edge of the shoal, while the more distant bottom is more denuded. The growth of young on the productive part of the rock is fair, being sufficient to yield about 9 bushels per day on the scattered area and about 6 bushels on the very scattered area and about the edges of the shoal. Following is the record of observations on this bed: Details op Examination of Drum Shoal 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. 585 Sept. 14,1909 do Aug. 12,1909 do Feet. 8.0 9.0 10.5 8.5 2.6 1.5 .7 .9 11.6 7.9 6.1 12.0 3.1 2.4 1.9 1.7 Bush. 92 61 44 84 Bush. 50 39 31 27 Bush. 142 586 44 Very scattering 100 75 45 do 111 NEWPORT NEWS ROOK. This lies in the overlapping portions of Public Grounds No. 2, Nansemond County, and No. 6, Isle of Wight County, north of Nansemond Ridge, and between Drum Shoal on the east and Cruiser Rock on the west. Its estimated area, density of growth, and contents are as follows: Oyster Growth on Newport News Rock. Character of growth of market oysters. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated content of Seed. Market. market oysters. Acres. 4 27 12 129 Bushds. 93 75 83 34 Bushels. 108 63 35 27 Bushels. 432 1,701 420 3,483 Total 172 6,036 The rock in reality consists of several shoal spots separated by areas of depleted bottom in deeper water. The dense area is a small spot lying by itself in about 8 feet of water at low tide, and it bears market oysters in sufficient quantity to yield to the tonger about 9 bushels per day, and the young growth is in nearly the same quantity. The scattered and very scattered growth lies on Cruiser Shoal proper, the former being sufficiently productive to yield about 6 bushels and the latter about 3 bushels per day. On both of these areas there is a fair growth of young, sufficient to yield about 6 bushels per day. 20 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. At the eastern edge of the rock, as defined on the chart, there is a dense growth, not shown, which lies just outside of the Baylor line, and running south from this is a growth of young oysters on the so-called depleted bottom sufficient to yield about 4 bushels per day. The depleted bottom on the whole will yield about 2 bushels of market oysters per day and about the same quantity of young. The following are the results of examinations on this rock: Details of Examination of Newport News 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. 52 Aug. 13,1909 do do do Aug. 11,1909 Aug. 12,1909 Aug. 13,1909 Feet. 12.0 9.0 11.0 10.0 9.5 9.5 10.0 0.7 1.1 1.8 1.1 3.1 .7 1.1 13.6 9.8 10.2 11.6 5.1 4.9 1.1 6.7 4.7 3.1 2.2 1.6 1.8 1.6 Bush. 93 71 78 83 53 36 14 Bush. 108 76 50 35 26 30 26 Bush. 201 53 147 55 56 23 do Very scattering 128 118 79 46 54 do do 66 40 CRUISER SHOAL ROCK. This rock lies on and about the shoal that gives it its name, mainly in Public Ground No. 6, Warwick County, but partly in the area common to that ground and No. 2, Nansemond County. Its area and condition are shown in the following table : Oyster Growth on Cruiser Shoal Rock. Character of growth of market oysters. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated content of Seed. Market. market oysters. Acres. 27 19 26 32 Bushels. 140 47 51 66 Bushels. 156 53 28 9 Bushels. 4,212 Scattering 1,007 728 288 Total 104 6,235 The dense and scattered areas follow the line of a very shallow ridge which forms the backbone of the shoal, the former being capa- ble of yielding from 10 to 20 bushels of oysters per day and the latter about 5. The area of very scattering growth lies on each side of the more prolific areas and is capable of yielding about 3 bushels of market oysters per day's tonging. The depleted area will yield an average of not over 1 bushel of market oysters per day, and the parts more distant from the ridge are practically bare. Close to the ridge, even on some of the bottom depleted of market oysters, the OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 21 growth of young is good enough to yield an average of about 15 bushels per day to the tonger; but on the very scattering and depleted areas further removed from the ridge the young growth is sparse. The following table shows the results of the examinations made on this bed : Details of Examination op Cruiser Shoal 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. 58 Aug. 13,1909 Sept. 14, 1909 Aug. 12,1909 do Aug. 13,1909 Aug. 12,1909 Aug. 13,1909 Sept. 14, 1909 Feet. 10.5 8.5 9.0 11.0 7.5 9.0 13.0 6.0 4.0 1.5 .3 .2 1.8 .5 .0 5.3 21.0 17.0 7.0 .4 13.4 4.5 .0 20.2 7.3 12.1 3.3 2.0 1.6 .7 .0 .9 Bush. 162 120 47 4 99 32 166 Bush. 117 195 53 32 25 11 15 Bush. 279 589 51 50 57 do Scattering Very scattering do 315 100 36 124 47 43 59 590 do do 181 FLAT ROCK AND ADJACENT SMALL BEDS. Flat Rock is a small bed bearing a dense growth of market oysters lying in the southeast corner of Public Ground No. 6, Warwick County. The examination of this rock was not satisfactory, as owing to an error in platting in the field certain positions supposed to be on the bed proved to be on adjacent planted beds. The single examination, in connection with traversing lines of chain readings, indicates a growth over the entire area which will yield to the tonger an average of about 9 bushels of market oysters per day. There were practically no small oysters or shells, and there was some reason to believe that the place had been planted, though it was fully 200 yards inside of the Baylor lines. North of Flat Rock is a small depleted area, covering about 7 acres, on which there are about 26 bushels of market oysters and 16 bushels of young oysters per acre, and on which it is computed that a tonger could take not over 2 bushels of oysters per day. West of Cruiser Rock is another unnamed bed of very scattering oysters. Its area is about 5 acres, with an average of 42 bushels of market oysters and 55 bushels of seed oysters per acre, and it is esti- mated that a tonger could take about 3£ bushels of oysters per day. Northwest of Flat Rock, at intervals of about 400 yards, are two small beds where the' water does not shoal, on which no deter- minations were made except with the chain. The indications are of very scattering growths. The areas are about 5 and 2 acres, respec- tively. The data relating to the several beds examined are as follows: 22 OYSTER BEDS OP JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. Details of Examination op Flat Rock and Small Beds Between Nansemond Ridge and Fishing Point. 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. 31 Aug. 11,1909 Aug. 12,1909 Aug. 11,1909 Feet. 10.5 10.0 10.5 0.2 1.8 .0 0.2 6.7 2.4 6.7 2.6 1.6 Bush. 3 55 16 Bush. 108 42 26 Bush. Ill 48 32 Very scattering 97 42 HIGH SHOAL ROCK. High Shoal Rock is conspicuous from its position, near the middle of James River, surrounding a shoal of sand and broken shells bare at practically all times. The highest part of the shoal is near the channel, from which it extends shoreward toward Fishing Point. The bed, including the depleted parts, is quadrangular in shape, with its more productive areas extending at right angles to the shores along its major diameter. Its extent and density of growth are as follows : Oyster Growth on High Shoal Rock. Character of growth of market oysters. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated content of Seed. Market. market oysters. Acres. 24 13 24 95 Bushels. 134 127 58 8 Bushels. 90 48 25 8i Bushels. 2; 160 624 600 807 Total 156 4,191 1 The dense area extends along practically the entire length of the shoal, as a narrow strip on both sides but especially to the eastward of the highest ridge. The market oysters are somewhat smaller than those in water a little deeper, but on the bed as a whole they were found to average about 400 to the bushel. It is estimated that on this area a tonger could take about 10 bushels of oysters per day. The area of scattering growth forms a strip on the southern side of the bed along the edge of a deep swash channel which separates it from one of the neighboring Fishing Point Rocks. Market oysters are produced in sufficient abundance to yield the tonger about 6£ bushels per day. The very scattering area lies to the eastward of the dense area and north of the scattering, and produces oysters suffi- cient to furnish the tonger about 3 to 3 J bushels per day. OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 23 The depleted area, which constitutes the major portion of the bed as delineated on the chart, is principally on the western or upstream side, though a strip averaging about 100 yards in width extends around the outer end of the shoal and along its entire eastern side. This area will nowhere yield to the tonger more than about 2\ bushels of oysters per day, and the average yield of all places exam- ined would not be over 1 bushel. The growth of young oysters on the areas charted as dense and scattering and on the very scattering part closer to the ridge is pro- lific enough to yield a tonger from 8 to 25 bushels per day, the average of all places examined being about 17 bushels. Clean shells were abundant on the three productive areas and in the depleted area close to the ridge. The data on which the foregoing statements are based is as follows : Details of Examination of High Shoal 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. 68 Aug. 13,1909 do Sept. 7,1909 do Aug. 13,1909 Sept. 8,1909 do do Aug. 13,1909 do do....... do Sept. 7,1909 do do Sept. 8,1909 do do Feet. 7.0 7.5 5.5 6.0 6.0 6.0 8.0 3.5 14.5 12.5 9.0 7.5 4.0 6.0 6.5 7.5 9.5 7.0 3.6 10.0 3.2 3.2 3.4 2.9 .0 7.6 .0 .0 .0 .4 2.4 1.1 .0 .0 .0 .0 10.9 17.0 12.4 22.5 26.4 6.5 .3 10.1 .0 .2 .0 2.2 1.8 . -1.4 1.0 .2 1.3 .0 7.8 10.3 2.6 8.4 4.1 3.9 2.9 1.3 1.8 .0 1.8 .2 1.7 1.7 .0 .0 .0 Bush. 94 175 101 167 194 61 2 115 1 17 27 16 6 1 8 Bush. 94 125 32 102 50 47 35 16 22 22 2 20 20 Bush. 188 70 473 474 do do do 300 132 269 67 244 478 do 108 476 477 Very scattering do 37 131 63 64 69 71 do do do 23 39 470 do 29 471 472 do do 36 26 479 480 481 do do do 1 8 TROUT SHOAL ROCK. This bed occupies the southeastern part of Naseway Shoal. In its depleted area it is continuous with Dog Shoal Rock, which occu- pies the upper part of the same shoal, but is separated from the adja- cent Fishing Point and High Shoal Rocks'by swash channels in which there is an abrupt deepening of the water. The depth ranges from low-water mark to 10 or 11 feet, the greater depths being found in a pocket of deep water which extends far into Naseway shoal from the westward. 24 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. The extent and productiveness of the bed are shown in the following table : Oyster Growth on Trout Shoal Rock. Character of growth of market oysters. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated content of Seed. Market. market oysters. Acres. 25 14 90 Bushels. 165 118 21 Bushels. 44 30 8 Bushels. 1,100 420 720 Total 129 1 2,240 There is no dense growth within the meaning of the definition adopted in this report— that is>, bottom on which 8 or more bushels of market oysters ,may be tonged by a man working 9 hours. There are two areas of scattering growth which lie as strips along the line of a shoal largely exposed at low water. These areas are sufficiently productive to yield from 5 to 10 bushels of market oysters per day to the tonger, the average being about 7 bushels. The only other productive bottom is a very scattering area occu- pying the central and eastern portion of the rock, from the ridge to the deep water lying between this shoal and High Shoal. On this area a tonger can average a little over 3 bushels of oysters per day. Depleted areas lie on each side of the shoal, that on the western side being more extensive and continuous with the depleted area of Dog Shoal rock. On these areas a tonger could take hardly a bushel of market oysters per day, although there are spots a little more pro- ductive. On the scattering and very scattering areas of market oysters the young growth is prolific, on the former being sufficient to yield to the tonger an average of about 26 bushels per day and on the latter about 16 bushels. On both of these areas there is an abundance of clean shells suitable for taking a set of spat, but the depleted areas have comparatively few shells and young oysters. The following observations were made on this rock : Details op Examination op Trout Shoal 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. 76 Aug. 13,1909 Aug. 14,1909 Sept. 8,1909 do Aug. 13,1909 Aug. 14,1909 do do Aug. 13,1909 Sept. 8,1909 do do Feet. 6.5 4.0 4.5 6.5 6.0 5.0 10.0 9.5 11.5 11.0 5.5 6.5 7.7 1.0 4.7 4.2 4.3 .8 .4 .0 .4 .7 1.6 .0 32.3 16.1 29.1 21.6 18.3 25. « 18.7 4.8 2.1 2.3 6.1 .0 4.0 2.4 4.9 3.4 2.0 1.8 3.3 2.8 1.7 .3 .6 .0 Bush. 260 111 220 168 147 171 124 31 16 19 50 Bush. 48 29 59 41 24 22 40 34 21 4 7 Bush. 308 105 482 488 75 106 107 108 72 do do do Very scattering do do do 140 279 209 171 193 164 65 37 483 484 487 do do do 23 57 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 25 DOG SHOAL ROCK. This bed occupies the northwestern or upstream part of Naseway Shoal. The rocks are in reality two, separated by the tongue of deeper water which makes into Naseway Shoal from the west and extends well toward the ridge of Trout Shoal. The larger rock is hook shaped and contains two areas of dense growth and a long strip of very scattering oysters, both following the line of a shell ridge bare in parts at low water. The smaller area is a U-shaped ridge of scattering oysters lying between the deeper water just mentioned and the swash channel, which separates it from the adjacent Fishing Point rock. The following table shows the area, density of growth, and esti- mated oyster content of the rock : Oyster Growth on Dog Shoal Rock. Character of growth of market oysters. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated content of Seed. Market. market oysters. A cres. 16 13 35 118 Bushels. 155 153 22 41 Bushels. 104 39 27 12 Bushels. 1,664 507 945 1,416 Total 182 4,532 The dense areas produce market oysters in sufficient quantity to yield the tonger an average of about 12 bushels per day, the scattering area will yield about 6 bushels, and the very scattering about 3 bushels. On the depleted area the yield would be at no place more than about 2 or 2\ bushels of marketable stock, and the average at all places examined was about 1 bushel. The growth of young oysters on this rock is prolific, the density on the dense and scattering areas of market oysters being sufficient to yield the tonger an average of about 23 bushels per day. On the area of very scattering growth the yield should be about 3 bushels of young per day and on the depleted area about 4 bushels. The average of the latter is brought up by the very dense growth of young found in places close to the exposed ridge, where the quantity of market oysters was negligible. Over all of the area shown on the chart as depleted, excepting close to the productive areas, both clean shells and young were practically absent. The market oysters on this rock, like those on Trout Shoal and High Shoal, are compara- tively small, averaging a little in excess of 400 per bushel. The data on which the foregoing description is based are as fol- lows: 26 OYSTER BEDS OP JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. Details of Examination of Dog Shoal 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. 79 Aug. 13,1909 Aug. 14,1909 do Sept. 8,1909 do Aug. 14,1909 Sept. 3,1909 Aug. 13,1909 Sept. 8,1909 do do do Aug. 13,1909 do do Aug. 14,1909 Sept. 8,1909 do do .....do do do Feet. 7.0 5.5 5.5 6.0 9.5 4.5 6.0 4.0 8.0 8.5 7.0 6.5 7.5 5.5 9.0 10.0 11.5 6.5 8.5 7.0 6.5 6.5 10.2 3.7 4.2 7.4 .0 1.2 9.2 2.4 .0 .0 .0 .6 4.1 6.4 .3 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 30.3 21.0 21.2 21.3 .0 15.2 21.7 3.2 4.5 2.0 .0 3.0 11.0 42.1 .0 .3 .3 .0 .0 .3 .3 .0 9.1 6.0 3.0 16.0 9.0 2.4. 4.1 1.0 2.7 3.0 2.1 2.4 1.6 1.3 2.3 .7 2.3 .0 1.7 .0 .0 .0 Bush. 263 160 165 187 106 201 36 29 13 23 98 302 2 2 2 2 2 Bush. 110 73 36 194 109 29 49 12 33 36 25 29 19 16 28 8 28 21 Bush. 373 103 104 do do 233 201 491 493 do . .do 381 109 102 135 465 do 250 78 486 Very scattering.. . .do 48 62 492 do 49 494 do 25 496 77 do 53 117 82 .do 318 83 ...do 30 101 485 487 490 do do do ...do 10 30 21 495 500 do do 2 2 501 ....do FISHING POINT ROCKS. These are two beds of considerable extent lying between High Shoal and Naseway Shoal and Fishing Point. The names by which they are known to the oystermen were not learned. One of these beds, embracing scattered and very scattered areas, lies between High Shoal and the Baylor line, almost surrounded by deeper water; the other, which includes dense, scattered, and depleted areas, lies along the Baylor line inside of Naseway Shoal, from which it is sepa- rated by a channel carrying from 8 to 10 feet at low water. The statistics of the rocks are as follows: Oyster Growth on Fishing Point Rocks. Character of growth of market oysters. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated content of Seed. Market. market oysters. Acres. 45 77 47 90 Bushels. 185 178 70 30 Bushels. 119 82 44 19 Bushels. 5,355 6,314 2,068 1,710 Total 259 15,447 It is estimated that on the dense area a tonger could take an average of 10 or 11 bushels of market oysters per day, and on the scattering area about 7 bushels. On the very scattering area the water is rather deep, the beds in this vicinity ranging from about 12 to 22 feet at low water, and although the density of growth is fair as compared with other beds described, this reduces the probable yield to the tonger to an average of between 3 and 4 bushels per day. On the depleted OYSTEK BEDS OE JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 27 area the probable average yield is estimated at between 1 J and 2 bushels per day of tonging. On the area of scattering growth on the bed inside of High Shoal young growth is almost absent, giving the bottom the appearance of having been planted. On the very scat- tering area in the same bed the quantity of young is sufficient to yield about 6 bushels per day per tonger. On the dense and scattering areas of the other bed there is a dense growth of young oysters, sufficient to yield on the former about 18 bushels and on the latter about 13 bushels per day. On the depleted bottom as a whole it would probably be impossible to take more than 3 bushels of young per day, though there are spots where the yield might be double that amount. The following results were obtained from examinations: Details of Examination of Fishing Point Rocks. 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. 466 Sept. 3,1909 do Aug. 13,1909 Sept. 3,1909 do Aug. 13,1909 ....Tdo do Aug. 14.1909 do ... Feet. 8.0 8.0 14.0 9.0 9.5 13.0 8.5 10.0 9.0 8.0 3.8 1.2 .0 6.2 2.5 4.0 2.6 .0 .3 .3 27.4 24.7 .3 39.7 18.3 6.8 6.9 1.3 7.3 .3 8.5 11.2 6.7 6.1 7.5 3.6 2.0 .7 2.4 1.2 Bush. 203 168 2 298 135 ' 70 62 8 49 4 Bush. 103 135 81 74 91 44 24 8 29 14 Bush. 306 467 do.... 303 62 83 468 469 66 73 do do Very scattering 372 226 114 86 84 99 100 .....do do do 16 78 18 ROCKS BETWEEN FISHING POINT AND BALLARDS MARSH ROCKS. In this region there are two small rocks for which no names were obtained. One of these lies close to the Baylor line and is encroached on by planted areas. It consists of a dense area inshore, the oysters becoming very scattering farther out, surrounded by a fringe of de- pleted bottom. The other bed is a small patch of very scattering growth about 400 yards farther out, in the direction of Dog Shoal Rock. The following table exhibits the extent and condition of these beds : Oyster Growth on Rocks Between Fishing Point and Ballards Marsh Rocks. Character of growth of market oysters. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated content Seed. Market. of market oysters. Dense Acres. 5 8 18 Bushels. 183 1 Bushels. 268 31 Bushels. 1,340 Very scattering 248 Depleted 1 Total 31 1,588 28 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. The dense area varies considerably in productiveness, one spot near what appeared to be the center of the original bed producing a quantity of oysters sufficient to yield 50 bushels per day to the tonger, while in another place not more than 9 bushels could be taken. On the very scattering area of the larger bed barely 3 bushels per day could be taken, but on the small isolated spot the growth was sufficient to yield about 4 bushels per day. The depleted area is practically bare of oysters of all sizes, and the quantity of shells is negligible. On the small strip in the dense bottom where the market oysters were most abundant there is a very dense growth of young, but the rest of the bed is deficient in this respect. The following table gives the results of the several examinations of the beds : Details of Examination of Beds Between Fishing Point and Ballards Marsh Rocks. 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. 93 Aug. 14,1909 do do Sept. 3,1909 Aug. 14,1909 do Sept. 3,1909 Feet. 7.5 7.5 7.0 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 0.0 .0 .3 .0 .0 .0 .0 0.0 56.4 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 7.0 37.3 3.1 2.0 .0 .0 .0 Bush. 366 2 Bush. 85 451 37 25 Bush. 85 95 do 817 98 464 96 Very scattering do 39 25 97 '.do 463 do BALLARDS MARSH ROCK. This is the bed called by Winslow "Bally Smash," probably an un- conscious attempt to render a provincial pronunciation phonetically* It is the westernmost bed of Public Ground No. 6, Isle of Wight County. It follows the line of a shoal which sets offshore from Ballards Marsh. Its extent and condition are epitomized in the following table: Oyster Growth on Ballards Marsh Rock. Character of growth of market oysters. Oysters per acre. Seed. Market. Estimated content of market oysters. Scattering Very scattering Depleted Total Acres. 33 142 Bushels. 152 191 45 Bushels. 31 24 7 Bushels. 124 792 894 1,810 OYSTER BEDS OP JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 29 The scattering area is a small spot near the inner end of the shoal, where the quantity of market oysters is sufficient to yield to the tonger between 7 and 8 bushels per day. The very scattering growth is found on each side of this and beyond it for a distance of about two-thirds the length of the shoal, bearing a growth yielding about 3| bushels of oysters per day's work. On both sides of the very scattering area and beyond it along the line of the shoal is a de- pleted bottom on which, as a whole, less than 1 bushel of oysters can be taken per day, the edges of the area being practically barren. Along both sides of the shoal, even on the so-called depleted bottom which surrounds it at its outer end, is a heavy growth of young and many shells, which will yield on the average about 35 bushels of culls and spat per day. The market oysters on this bed will average about 400 to the bushel and the culls or seed oysters about 750. Details of Examination op Ballards Marsh 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. 86 Aug. 14,1909 do Sept. 3,1909 Sept. 9,1909 Aug. 14,1909 do.. do do do....... Sept. 3,1909 Sept. 9,1909 do do do do do do do do do do do -. Feet. 3.0 6.0 5.0 4.0 6.0 7.0 9.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 6.0 5.0 4.5 4.5 6.0 5.5 6.0 6.0 7.0 7.0 6.5 5.5 13.7 3.2 6.6 10.8 .3 .0 .0 .0 .0 4.7 .0 5.7 7.4 10.3 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 9.7 3.2 21.7 42.3 2.3 .0 .0 .0 . .3 27.7 .0 22.5 21.0 22.4 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .3 .0 .0 2.6 2.1 2.0 1.8 1.4 .0 1.7 - .0 1.8 1.3 .0 .4 .5 .2 .2 .9 .7 .2 .5 1.4 .0 .0 Bush. 152 42 184 346 17 2 211 183 185 213 2 Bush. 31 25 25 22 17 21 22 16 5 6 2 2 11 8 2 6 17 Bush. 183 85 462 Very scattering d"o 67 209 514 .. do 368 87 88 89 do 21 90 91 461 do do : do 24 227 504 505 do do 188 506 do 191 508 do 215 513 do 2 515 do 11 516 517 518 519 520 521 do do do do do do 8 2 6 19 CREEK CHANNEL ROCK. This is a small bed about 2 acres in extent, covering a shoal marked by a buoy of the Light-House Establishment. It has the indications of having been a dense bed, but at the present time it is depleted, and a tonger could take on it an average of hardly a bushel of oysters per day, and the young growth is still more sparse. It is surrounded by private beds. It constitutes Public Ground No. 5, Isle of Wight County. 30 OYSTEK BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. The following observations were made on this bed : Details of Examination of Creek Channel Shoal 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. 383 Aug. 26,1909 do Feet. 13.0 6.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.1 1.4 .2 Bushels. 7 Bushels. 19 3 Bushels. 19 384 do 10 AARON SHOAL ROCK. This is the only bed in Public Ground No. 2, Isle of Wight County. It is almost or quite surrounded by private beds, the boundary stakes of which formed a forest which made it difficult to tell, without spend- ing on the bed more time than its importance warranted, what was planted ground and what was not. The following statistics exhibit its present condition: Oyster Growth on Aaron Shoal Rock. Character of growth of market oysters. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated content of Seed. Market. market oysters. Acres. 2? 4 3 24 Bushels. 129 135 112 Bushels. 100 33 23 5 Bushels. 200 132 Very scattering 69 120 Total 31 521 The dense area forms a very narrow strip along the northern edge close to and among the stakes. Its area could not be very definitely determined without wasteful expenditure of time, but is probably about 2 acres. About 10 bushels of oysters per day could be taken by the tonger. On the scattering growth it is estimated that about 4| bushels, and on the very scattering about 3 bushels, per day could be taken. The depleted area is for the most part bare. There is a good growth of young on the dense and scattered areas and at two spots on the de- pleted bottom. The following examinations were made. OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. Details op Examination of Aaron Shoal Rock 31 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. 392 Aug. 26,1909 do do do do do do do Feet. 8.5 5.5 5.5 6.0 5.0 8.5 7.5 6.5 0.0 5.7 1.6 .0 6.7 5.0 .0 5.3 6.0 28.0 19.2 .0 24.2 10.3 .0 18.7 9.7 4.7 2.4. 1.7 1.3 .3 .0 .0 Bush. 39 219 135 201 90 156 Bush. 134 65 33 23 18 4 Bush. 173 396 389 do. 284 168 400 390 391 394 395 Very scattering Depleted do do do ■ 23 219 94 156 BROWNS SHOAL ROCKS. Included under this name are a number of small rocks, separated by depleted and barren bottom lying at the extreme lower end of public ground No. 1, Warwick County, just above Newport News. The productive portions lie on Browns Shoal and a number of other shoal spots in the vicinity. The extent and present condition of the rocks as a whole are shown in the following table : Oyster Growth on Browns Shoal Rocks. Character of growth of market oysters. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated content of Seed. Market. market oysters. Acres. 68 44 27 226 Bushels. 126 142 88 5 Bushels. 183 54 39 4 Bushels. 12, 444 2,376 1,053 904 Total 365 16, 777 The dense area is found in seven patches, of which the largest, covering about 25 acres, is on a shoal west of Browns Shoal sur- rounding a watchhouse or covered pierhead. The areas as a whole are quite productive of market oysters, and it is estimated that an industrious tonger working nine hours per day could take between 10 and 40 bushels of oysters, the average at all places examined being about 15 bushels. The areas of scattering growth are three in number, lying on me ends of Browns Shoal proper and a small shoal west of it, inshore of the watchhouse above alluded to. They carry a depth of between about 4 or 5 and 12 feet at low water, and their productiveness is such that a tonger could take an average of between 5 and 6 bushels of market oysters per day. The areas of very scattering growth are a number of small patches nearly all lying between the more prolific areas and the edges of the bed. They are nearly all covered by about 10 feet of water at low tide, and bear oysters in sufficient quantity to yield to the tonger between 3 and 4 bushels per day. 20201—10 3 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 op Examination op Browns Shoal Rocks. Station num- ber. 112- 122 123 126 139 141 142 144 145 146 450 459 460 524 115 118 119 120 136 138 143 451 452 453 117 125 135 140 457 458 523 113 114 116 124 137 449 454 455 456 522 567 Mean Date of exami- depth nation. of water. Feet. Aug. 16,1909 9.5 do 9.5 do 8.5 do 8.0 Aug. 17,1909 9.5 do 11.5 do 14.5 do 10.5 do 12.5 do 13.5 Sept. 1,1909 10.0 Sept. 3,1909 10.5 do 10.5 Sept. 10, 1909 11.5 Aug. 16,1909 9.0 do 7.0 do 6.0 do 6.0 Aug. 17,1909 10.0 do 9.0 do 12.5 Sept. 1,1909 7.5 do 11.0 do 10.0 Aug. 16,1909 5.0 do 10.0 Aug. 17,1909 11.0 do 11.0 Sept. 3,1909 11.0 do 10.5 Sept. 10,1909 10.0 Aug. 16,1909 12.6 do 10.5 do 12.0 do 12.0 Aug. 17,1909 12.0 Sept. 1,1909 18.0 do 18.0 do 10.5 do 11.0 Sept. 10, 1909 24.0 Sept. 14, 1909 20.5 Character of growth of market oysters. Dense ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do Scattering ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do Very scattering ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do Depleted ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do Oysters caught per square yard. Spat. 4.7 .0 1.3 .0 1.6 2.0 7.2 1.5 1.5 .0 5.2 5.0 2.1 .0 .3 .6 .9 4.5 3.6 2.0 ,0 12.3 7.3 2.9 .2 .3 2.0 8.2 2.9 2.0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 Culls. 31.9 24.6 21.6 10.7 6.4 11.2 15.6 18.0 11.0 9.2 37.8 21.2 16.2 4.0 28.7 21.2 12.8 11.8 25.6 31.0 2.8 34.0 20.4 12.1 12.9 3.7 6.0 8.8 26.2 9.6 12.5 5.7 .0 .3 .0 .0 .0 2.3 .0 .0 .0 .0 Counts 12.0 7.9 9.6 7.3 32.0 9.6 12.8 10.5 14.5 24.4 4.4 10.8 20.8 9.0 6.3 4.0 2.3 2.5 4.4 4.0 6.4 3.0 5.8 4.6 2.2 3.3 3.2 2.8 2.5 3.8 2.0 2.0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 1.4 .0 .0 .0 .0 Estimated quantity oys- ters per acre. Seed. Bush. 238 160 149 70 52 86 148 127 81 60 280 170 119 26 100 190 214 18 301 180 98 85 26 52 57 223 81 94 37 2 15 Market. Bush. 165 109 133 101 443 133 177 145 200 337 61 149 287 124 87 55 32 34 61 55 88 41 80 64 30 45 44 39 35 52 28 28 19 . Total. Bush. 403 269 282 171 495 219 325 - 272 281 397 341 319 406 150 275 196 121 134 251 269 106 342 260 162 115 71 96 96 258 133 122 65 2 34 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 33 GUN ROCK. This is a small bed lying on a shoal spot west of the preceding. Its extent and estimated density of growth and contents are as follows : Oyster Growth on Gun Rock. Character of growth of market oysters. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated content of Seed. Market. market oysters. Acres. 6 16 4 Bushels. 198 62 Bushels. 152 30 Bushels. 912 Very scattering 480 Total 26 1,392 The dense area forms a narrow tongue running along the inner or shoreward end of the ridge or backbone of the shoal, and it produces market oysters in sufficient quantity to yield the tonger about 9 bushels per day. There is no scattering growth, but the outer half of the length of the bed as far as the Baylor line produces a very scattering growth sufficient to yield about 3 bushels per day. Along the higher parts of the ridge, on both the dense and very scattering bottoms, there is a prolific growth of young oysters, suffi- cient to furnish the tonger from 12 to 14 bushels per day. The edges of the very scattering area produce but few young oysters, and the depleted bottom is practically bare of both oysters and clean shells, its position being indicated solely by the presence of shells more or less deeply buried in the mud. The following observations were made: Details of Examination op Gun 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. 134 Aug. 17,1909 do do do Feet. 16.0 6.5 12.5 12.5 2.0 .8 .0 .0 28.5 17.4 1.0 .0 11.0 1.8 2.5 .0 Bush. 198 118 6 Bush. 152 25 34 Bush. 350 147 149 Very scattering do 143 40 148 KETTLE HOLE ROCK. I am not certain of the name of this bed, as in the field some confu- sion arose as to whether this or the next was Thomas Point Rock. In designating it as above I have been guided by Winslow's nomen- clature. This bed is the largest and most important in this part of 34 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. the river. It lies on the north side of a shallow ridge, extending thence shoreward toward Watts Creek as far as the Baylor line. Its extent and present general condition are as follows: Oyster Growth on Kettle Hole Rock. Character of growth of market oysters. Dense Scattering Very scattering Depleted Total...'. Area. Acres. 258 66 111 11 446 Oysters per acre. Seed. Bushels. 317 207 180 Market. Bushels. 105 82 42 Estimated content of market oysters. Bushels. 27,090 5,412 4,662 37, 164 The principal area of dense growth starts from the ridge and ex- tends as a broad belt as far as the Baylor line inshore. The public ground includes but a portion of the shoal, possibly because the southern part was taken up as private ground prior to the Baylor survey. The productive bottom probably extends across the ridge, but as it is not included in the public grounds and is staked as a pri- vate holding it was not examined. The growth of market oysters on the public ground is rather uniform and is sufficient to provide the tonger with from 8 to 13 bushels per day, the average being about 9 or 10. Near the middle of the inner part of the dense area is a small spot where market oysters are deficient in quantity, but the growth of young is so prolific that it has not been thought advisable to differ- entiate it on the chart. There is also a small area of dense growth on a shallow spot east of the main area. The scattering growth on Kettle Hole Rock forms a fringe along the western border of the dense area, with a broad tongue thrust into the latter near its middle. The growth of market oysters is sufficient to yield to the tonger an average of about 6 bushels per day. The areas of very scattering growth form a border on the eastern and inshore edges of the dense growth, and it is estimated that about 3 or 3^ bushels of oysters could be tonged per day on the areas taken in their entirety. The depleted bottom is insignificant and bare of everything except a few buried shells. There is a heavy growth of young oysters over practically the entire extent of this bed. On the dense areas they are estimated to be pres- ent in sufficient quantities to yield to the tonger about 28 bushels per day as an average at the beginning of the season, while on the scatter- ing and very scattering areas the yield would probably average about 16 or 17 bushels. Undoubtedly the entire bed can be regarded as OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 35 presently and prospectively productive. The following data were obtained from the examinations made: Details op Examination of Kettle Hole 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. 133 Aug. 17,1909 do do do do Aug. 26,1909 do do do do do Aug. 17,1909 Aug. 18,1909 Aug.* 26, 1909 Aug. 17,1909 do do do Aug. 26,1909 Aug. 18,1909 do Feet. 10.0 13.5 11.5 11.5 9.5 • 11.5 11.5 10.5 8.5 7.5 8.0 12.5 17.0 11.0 11.0 13.0 11.5 11.5 1L5 14.0 16.0 8.5 5.0 1.5 .0 .0 5.0 2.1 8.1 6.5 7.6 9.6 5.0 .7 .9 .0 .4 1.1 .2 7.9 .0 .0 47.5 62.0 29.9 32.0 44.6 27.5 18.5 54.6 47.2 46.7 72.4 34.6 50.0 3.8 16.0 43.3 13.3 24.0 30.0 .0 .0 10.0 7.5 7.8 8.0 .7 11.7 7.6 9.6 6.1 7.9 6.5 5.5 6.9 5.4 4.0 2.1 3.0 3.3 2.9 .0 .0 Bush. 364 436 204 208 290 211 134 408 349 353 533 257 334 31 104 284 95 169 246 Bush. 138 104 108 111 10 161 105 133 84 109 90 76 95 75 55 29 41 46 40 Bush. 502 155 do 540 156 do 312 157 do 319 159 do 300 360 do 372 361 do 239 362 do 541 363 ...do 433 364 do 462 365 do 623 158 333 163 359 do do 429 106 151 152 Very scattering 159 313 153 do 136 154 369 164 do do 215 286 165 do THOMAS POINT ROCK. As explained in the discussion of the preceding bed, there may be some question as to the name of this one, which lies between what has been called Kettle Hole Rock and Blunt Point Rock. It is entirely separated from the former by a swash channel carrying from 12 to 21 feet of water, but is connected with Blunt Point Rock by a narrow ridge of depleted bottom. The bed lies on and about two shoals which extend from the edge of the channel lying north of White Shoal Light. Its extent and condition are as follows: Oyster Growth on Thomas Point Rock. Character of growth of market oysters. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated content of Seed. Market. market oysters. Acres. 76 118 100 127 Bushels. 168 170 103 80 Bushels. 115 71 51 21 Bushels. 8,745 8,378 5,100 2,667 Total 421 24,890 The dense growth of market oysters is in three patches, all lying on or close to the shoaler parts of the bed in water ranging from 5 to 8 feet at low tide. The growth is sufficiently prolific to yield to the tonger about 10 bushels of marketable oysters per day. 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. 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 3^ bushels. The best of the depleted bottom, which is in the areas lying on the edge of the deep-water channel, will yield about 2\ 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 4^ 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 do Aug. 26,1909 do do Aug. 17,1909 do do do Aug. 18,1909 do Aug. 26,1909 do Aug. 18,1909 do Aug. 26,1909 do do Aug. 18,1909 do Aug. 26,1909 do Feel. 12.5 12.5 8.5 8.5 13.0 14.5 12.5 13.5 9.5 9.0 9.0 8.5 11.0 13.0 15.5 14.0 17.0 13.0 9.5 15.0 13.0 13.0 0.8 9.6 3.9 13.4 5.8 2.0 2.5 1.5 5.5 3.0 2.9 10.0 2.3 1.2 2.7 .0 .0 .0 1.3 2.7 .0 .3 2.1 33.0 33.1 13.8 13.6 21.2 24.0 9.5 24.0 31.1 27.7 28.6 13.2 13.5 45.9 4.5 6.8 4.5 18.5 24.6 1.2 1.0 11.2 8.9 10.3 5.8 5.5 6.0 4.5 5.5 5.5 5.7 5.1 1.8 7.1 2.4 5.5 3.3 3.6 3.8 1.8 2.7 . .9 .7 Bush. 19 277 241 177 126 151 172 71 192 221 199 •251 101 97 316 29 44 29 129 177 8 8 Bush. 154 123 142 80 76 83 62 76 76 79 70 25 98 33 76 46 50 52 25 37 12 10 Bush. 173 132 366 do do 400 383 367 374 do do 257 202 128 234 129 do 234 130 131 160 do do do 147 268 300 161 368 372 do do do 269 276 199 162 166 Very scattering do 130 392 371 375 376 do do do 75 94 81 168 172 Depleted do 154 214 373 377 do do 20 18 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 37 BLUNT POINT ROCK. This is the uppermost bed in that part of Public Ground No. 1, War- wick County, in which the cull law is enforced. All beds above this, excepting the small one in Warwick River, are within the area which is set apart for seed production. This rock is rather attenuated in most of its parts, being in the shape of an irregular ring surrounding a deeper barren area, with a long tail running along the Baylor line in the direction of Deep Creek. The highly productive area is very limited and the very scattering growth constitutes more than half of the total area. The extent and general condition of the bed at the time of the survey are shown in the following table: Oyster Growth on Blunt Point Rock. Character of growth of market oysters. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated content of Seed. Market. market oysters. Acres. 16 69 225 118 Bushels. 171 193 105 42 Bushels. 161 60 45 14 Bushels. 2,576 4,140 10, 125 1,652 Total 428 18, 493 The bottom covered with a dense growth occurs on two small patches on small shoals, on which about 15 bushels of market oysters could be taken in a day. There are three areas of scattering growth, of about equal produc- tiveness so far as market oysters are concerned. One of these is at the extreme end of the rock off Deep Creek, which is in close proximity to planted beds and bears some indications of being itself planted ground. These areas as a whole will yield, it is estimated, an average of about 6 bushels per day. The very scattering growth consists of a narrow zone almost en- circling the included barren area above alluded to and a prolonga- tion northward toward Deep Creek. The examinations made on it indicate a probable yield of about 3^ bushels per day of continuous tonging. The depleted area skirts the preceding for a good part of its length, and in addition forms a projection on the western part of the bed and a small isolated patch on a shoal just beyond it. Its content of oysters is such that it could furnish the tonger with hardly more than a bushel per day. The young growth is in good quantity on the dense and scattering areas of oysters, excepting that nearest Deep Creek, where it is prac- tically absent. With the exception noted, the tonger should be able to gather about 15 bushels per day. On the narrow annular part of 38 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. the beds the production of young oysters is good on the very scatter- ing and depleted areas, which in their other parts are deficient in immature growth. The following data furnish the basis for the foregoing: Details of Examination op Blunt 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. 252 Aug. 21,1909 do Aug. 18,1909 do Aug. 21,1909 Aug. 18,1909 do do do do Aug. 26,1909 do Aug. 18,1909 do do do .....do Aug. 19,1909 Aug. 21,1909 Aug. 26,1909 do Feet. 9.5 12.5 12.5 6.5 11.0 16.0 10.5 10.5 11.0 9.5 14.5 13.0 16.0 13.5 16.5 13.5 8.5 9.5 11.5 12.5 15.5 7.9 3.1 1.5 .0 .3 .9 2.6 1.3 2.0 .0 1.0 .3 1.9 .0 .0 .0 1.3 .0 .8 .0 .0 17.5 24.5 33.9 .8 22.9 5.0 42.3 27.1 7.1 4.0 3.1 16.0 35.2 .0 3.6 .0 12.1 .0 2.9 .0 .0 7.5 15.9 5.3 3.5 4.2 4.6 3.5 2.9 3.7 2.0 4.1 2.1 2.6 .0 .9 .0 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.8 .0 Bush. 165 178 230 5 151 38 292 184 59 26 27 106 241 23 87 24 Bush. 103 219 73 48 58 63 48 40 51 28 57 29 36 7 18 18 18 25 Bush. 268 253 do 397 180 303 187 do 53 254 173 175 do Very scattering do 209 101 340 178 182 188 do do do 224 110 54 380 do 84 381 174 do 135 277 177 ....do 179 181 189 do do do 30 105 190 251 do do 18 42 378 do 25 379 do WHITE SHOAL ROCKS. These are two rocks in very shallow water, with slightly greater depths between and deep channels surrounding. The westernmost lies about a bare shell bank and the easternmost is nearly awash at low water. The following exhibits their extent and condition at the beginning of the oyster season of 1909-10. Oyster Growth on White Shoal Rocks. Character of growth of market oysters. • Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated content of Seed Market. market oysters. Dense Acres. 44 10 52 Bushels. 312 108 53 Bushels. 127 36 12 Bushels. 5,588 360 Depleted 624 Total . . . : 106 6,572 The dense areas produce a good quantity of marketable oysters and at the beginning of the present season should be capable of yield- ing about 12 bushels of oysters per full day of tonging. There are no areas of scattered growth within the definition of this report, but at OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 39 each end of the western rock there is a small patch of very scattering growth capable of yielding an average of 3 4 bushels of marketable oysters per day. The area charted as depleted bears very few marketable oysters. The young growth on the dense areas is very prolific, being in sufficient quantity to afford a daily return to the tonger of about 35 bushels. On the scattering bottom about 10 bushels per day could be taken, while on the depleted bottom as a whole the average would hardly exceed 4 bushels, although two or three times that many could be taken in places. Details op Examination op White Shoal Rocks. 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. 169 Aug. 18,1909 do Sept. 1,1909 do do....... do Sept. 14, 1909 do do do do do do do do do Feet. 5.5 8.5 10.0 10.0 13.0 9.5 9.5 4.0 7.5 10.5 9.0 8.5 6.5 12.5 10.5 11.5 7.7 3.8 11.7 11.7 15.2 10.0 6.1 11.5 2.0 2.6 .3 1.0 .3 1.9 4.6 .3 92.3 10.4 63.3 29.6 26.9 28.4 26.2 29.3 8.7 19.7 1.3 6.3 .0 11.0 21.0 .3 6.5 9.2 7.1 17.9 8.3 7.1 11.6 5.7 3.0 2.3 .3 1.0 .0 1.9 1.8 .3 Bush. 650 92 487 268 274 250 210 265 70 145 10 47 2 84 166 4 Bush. 90 127 98 247 115 98 160 79 41 32 4 14 26 25 4 Bush. 740 170 443 444 445 do do do do 219 585 515 389 447 556 557 do do do 348 370 344 558 562 Very scattering do 111 177 552 14 553 554 555 do do do 61 2 110 559 561 do do 191 8 SEED OYSTER AREA. JAIL ISLAND ROCK. For this and all of the following rocks the standard of density of growth is different from that adopted in the preceding descriptions. The cull law, so faf as it relates to the size of oysters, does not apply, and oysters of whatever size may be taken. The entire content of the bed, both young and old, is therefore taken into consideration, and as the average price of seed oysters is about two-thirds of that of the market oysters from the James River, a larger quantity has to be taken to furnish a living wage. In all of the following descrip- tions a bed is regarded as dense when 12 or more bushels may be taken by a tonger in a day's work, as scattering when it will yield between 8 and 12 bushels, very scattering when it yields between 4 and 8, and depleted if less than 4 bushels can be tonged per day. As the market oysters sell for 45 cents and the seed oysters for but 30 cents per bushel, the financial return is essentially equal. Jail Island Rock, which extends alongshore west of the mouth of Warwick River, is continuous at its offshore edge with Wreck Shoal 40 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. Rock, the boundary between them as adopted in this report being purely arbitrary. The extent and general condition of the bed at the time of the survey was as follows : Oyster Growth on Jail Island Rock. Character of growth. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated content of oysters. Dense Scattering Very scattering Depleted Total. . . . Acres. 227 198 14 508 Bushels. 143 109 28 Bushels. 32, 461 21, 582 392 4,064 947 58, 499 The principal area of dense growth runs from the inner edge of Wreck Shoal Rock in a gradually narrowing belt to a tongue extend- ing to within 200 or 300 yards of shore between Jail Island and the mouth of Warwick River. The depth of water gradually decreases from about 9 feet to 2 or 3 feet at low water, near Jail Island. There is also a small area of dense growth lying on an isolated patch in about 10 or 11 feet of water off the mouth of Warwick River, which, being just on the cull line, is arbitrarily included in the Jail Island bed for the purposes of this report. The dense bottom as a whole will afford the tonger an average catch per day of about 17 bushels of oysters of all sizes. The area of scattering growth lies in a single body north and west of the preceding in from 6 to 1 1 feet of water. The growth oh the whole is rather heavier in the deeper water, and as an average should yield approximately 9 bushels per day. The very scattering growth is in a small patch immediately east of Jail Island, where the yield to the tonger should be about 5 bushels per day. The depleted bottom forms a broad zone on the inshore side and a narrow strip on the eastern edge of the bed. There is also a de- pleted area adjoining the small, isolated, dense patch before described, and a small patch lying between that and the main bed. In most places the so-called "depleted bottom" is practically bare. There is but a moderate supply of shells on the dense area and on the scatter- ing area close to it, but elsewhere the bed is deficient in this respect. It is stated that the inshore portions of the bed, on the depleted bottom along the Baylor line, produce fine single oysters, which in calm weather are picked up one by one and bring a high price in the markets. The survey did not disclose any quantity of such oysters. OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. Details of Examination of Jail Island Rock. 41 Station num- ber. Date of ex- amination. Mean depth of wa- ter. Character of growth. Oysters caught per square yard. Spat. Culls. Counts. 1.3 49.0 4.6 1.7 12.1 2.5 .0 8.5 6.9 1.5 8.8 4.2 1.3 3.3 2.8 4.6 8.2 2.1 5.4 16.7 2.5 .0 2.7 6.2 1.1 1.9 .9 .0 .0 .0 .4 1.7 1.3 .0 .0 .7 .0 .0 .0 .0 .3 .3 . 7 . i .0 .0 .0 .0 Estimated quantity oysters per acre. 184 198 199 200 404 207 210 211 402 183 185 192 208 212 401 403 Aug. 18,1909 Aug. 19,1909 ....do ....do Aug. 27,1909 Aug. 19.1909 ....do...... ....do Aug. 27, 1909 Aug. 18,1909 ....do Aug. 19,1909 ....do ....do Aug. 27,1909 ....do Feet. 11.0 7.0 6.0 4.0 4.0 10.0 11.5 8.5 4.0 11.0 •12.0 9.0 7 5 6.5 5.5 4.0 Dense do do do do Scattering do do Very scattering. Depleted do .do. .do. .do. .do. .do. Bushels. 306 97 138 110 62 88 140 99 28 32 8 6 7 WRECK SHOAL ROCK. This is a large, important, and productive bed extending from the preceding to the edge of deep water. For the purposes of this report, it is regarded as including the oyster growth on and about Wreck Shoal proper and the small shoal to the westward of its outer end. Excepting where it adjoins Jail Island bed, its boundaries are rather sharply defined by a sudden shoaling of the water. This is especially pronounced at the southern edge of the bed, where the bottom very abruptly rises from about 150 feet to within 6 feet of the surface. North of the smaller shoal the bed is prolonged into a narrow belt occupying a slightly shoaling ridge connected with a corner of Mul- berry Swash Rock. The depth at low water varies from less than 5 feet on the shoals to 12 or 15 feet at the edges. On one small area projecting as a tongue from the southeast side the water reaches a maximum depth of 30 feet. Wreck Shoal Rock is practically everywhere highly productive and no part of it falls below the standard here regarded as consti- tuting denseness of growth. Accepting the arbitrary inner boundary here adopted, it has an area of about 506 acres. The oyster growth at the places examined ranges from 178 to 497 bushels per acre, the average being about 316. The heaviest growth is as a rule found on the shoaler places, which facilitates the removal of the product. This materially raises the average daily yield to the tonger, which ranges in different places from 12 bushels to 51 bushels, with a gen- eral average for the entire bed of over 29 bushels. The bottom is well covered with clean shells and the bed can be regarded as being in a healthy and promising condition. In a few places there is a fair growth of large oysters and on the bed as a 42 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. whole the young growth over 1 inch in length is numerically more than double that under 1 inch. The following table exhibits the data obtained from the several examinations made: Details of Examination of Wreck Shoal Rock. Station num- Date of ex- amination. Mean depth of wa- ter. Character of growth. Oysters caught per square yard. Estimated quantity oysters per acre. ber. Spat. • Culls. Counts. 193 Aug. 19,1909 do do do do do do do do do do do Aug. 31,1909 do do do Feet. 12.0 9.0 , 8.0 9.0 6.5 12.0 11.0 11.0 10.0 7.0 11.5 14.5 15.0 6.5 8.5 16.5 0.0 7.1 2.5 23.7 17.9 18.3 21.8 9.5 26.7 43.0 15.8 12.7 3.6 38.1 27.7 9.5 16.7 30.3 24.6 34.6 69.2 28.6 44.6 57.7 46.9 45.0 18.9 31.8 30.0 41.2 60.0 30.9 10.3 .0 3.8 .4 5.0 1.4 3.6 .0 .3 .4 4.2 2.3 2.7 .8 1.2 .4 Bushels. 195 194 195 do ....do .' 191 178 196 197 201" 202 203 204 do do do do .....do do 301 497 254 379 343 379 205 206 209 428 do do do ....do 456 222 252 200 429 do... 413 430 431 do .do 460 210 DRY SHOALS ROCKS. These are 5 small rocks lying west of the preceding on and about shoals which ebb nearly or quite bare. They are in general isolated and surrounded by deep water, though two of them are connected by narrow ridges of depleted bottom with Swash Rock and Mulberry Swash Rock, respectively. Their present condition and extent are shown in the following table : Oyster. Growth on Dry Shoals Rocks. Character of growth. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated total con- tent of oysters. A cres. 126 18 9 21 Bushels. 244 124 85 20 Bushels. 30,766 2,232 765 420 Total 174 34,183 Four of these rocks are composed wholly or in major part of bot- tom bearing a dense growth of oysters, while the fifth, the smallest, bears a scattering growth exclusively. The dense growth in its daily yield to the tonger varies, with the locality, between 13 and 59 bushels, the average density over the entire area being sufficient to permit a OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 43 daily catch of about 30 bushels per man. The average depth of water is about 5 to 7 feet at low tide. The scattering growth is found in two places, one an isolated rock of small size and the other at the extremity of a larger bed where the productive bottom runs off to deeper water. There is not much difference in the density of the growth on the two places, and it is estimated that on the two a tonger could take an average of about 10 bushels of oysters per day. The very scattering bottom lies in two small patches at opposite ends of the longest bed of the group, and the growth is so sparse as barely to remove the areas from the category of depleted bottom. The depleted areas are three in number, one in the deeper water at the tip of a rock and the others on the two connecting ridges mentioned earlier in this description. About the same numerical proportion exists between the culls and spat as on the preceding bed, and at one place on the dense area there is a good growth of marketable oysters averaging between 400 and 450 per bushel. There is a fair or good deposit of shells throughout the dense and scattering areas and on the apical area of very scattering growth, but elsewhere the rocks are deficient in this respect. Details of Examination of Dry Shoals Rocks. Station num- ber '. 340 341 342 347 348 349 351 352 438 439 440 343 442 337 344 437 441 Date of ex- amination. Mean depth of wa- .ter. Character of growth. Oysters caught per square yard. Spat. Culls. Counts. 16.4 26.4 0.0 11.7 30.0 4.2 21.9 38.5 2.3 5.1 20.9 2.0 10.6 36.6 .6 20.3 57.7 .0 13.3 14.0 1.3 9.7 15.3 .3 15.7 21.3 .7 11.1 43.0 12.3 15.4 23.6 .4 3.1 11.4 4.0 5.8 19.3 .3 .8 2.5 2.9 6.1 11.2 3.1 .0 1.8 .9 .0 1.4 1.4 Estimated quantity oysters per acre. Aug. 25,1909 do ....do ...:do ....do ....do ....do ....do Aug. 31,1909 do ....do Aug. 25,1909 Aug. 31,1909 Aug. 25,1909 do Aug. 31,1909 ....do Feet. 7.0 7.0 5.0 11.0 10.0 5.0 5.5 5.5 7.0 8.0 6.0 14.0 12.0 11.0 17.0 14.0 9.0 Dense do do do do do do do do do do Scattering do..! Very scattering. ....do Depleted do Bushels. 218 258 •343 154 247 398 153 130 195 408 203 117 131 48 121 19 22 POINT OF SHOALS ROCK. This name is here given to a large area of varying productiveness lying between the preceding, Long Shoal and Point of Shoals Light- house, but it is possible that the name as used by the oystermen may not strictly accord with this usage. Scattered over the area are a number of small shoals ebbing nearly or quite bare, but the average depth is in general between 6 and 8 feet. Excepting at its northern edge, where an imaginary line separates it from Long Shoal Rock, 44 OYSTEK BEDS OF JAMES EIVEE, VIEGINIA. the bed is everywhere bounded by the deep water of the ship chan- nel or a swash channel which separates it from Dry Shoals and Swash Rocks. Where it faces the ship channel there is for most of the distance a border of barren bottom lying between the bed proper and deep water. The condition and extent of the bed at the time of the survey was as follows: Oyster Growth on Point of Shoals Rock. Character of growth. Area. Oysters per acre. Total con- tent of oysters. Acres. 254 155 239 142 Bushels. 200 93 42 15 Bushels. 50, 800 14,415 10,038 2,130 Total 790 77,383 The dense areas are three, one near the eastern end of the bed, another adjoining the corresponding area of Long Shoal Rock, and the third an isolated spot on a shoal in the swash channel. The densest growths occur as a rule on the shoaler spots, especially at the eastern end of the bed, from the isolated area above alluded to to the ship channel. In this area the average growth is about 275 bushels of oysters to the acre — considering the depths, sufficient to yield about 38 bushels per day's tonging — while the average of the whole area of dense growth would not exceed 25 bushels per day. There are four scattering areas, one of which, near the eastern apex of the bed, is insignificant. On these as a whole a tonger should average, at the beginning of the season, about 10 bushels per day. The very scattering growth is distributed in three areas, of which one adjoins the dense growth on the isolated patch in the swash channel. They are barely prolific enough to raise them above the assumed limit of depletion. The depleted area is in five patches or borders along the free boundary of the bed. They are entirely negligible in their pro- ductiveness. On the dense and scattering areas the proportion of very small to small oysters is higher than on the beds previously described, and there are several places on each where the growth of oysters above 3 inches long is fair. On the dense areas the deposit of shells is abundant, on the areas of scattering growth it is ample, while the areas with a very scattering growth and the depleted bottoms are decidedly deficient. In general the latter two areas are of no present and little prospective value. OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. Details of Examination op Point of Shoals Rock. 45 Station num- ber. Date of ex- amination. Mean depth of wa- ter. Character of growth. Oysters caught per square yard. Spat. Culls. Counts. Estimated quantity oysters per acre. 321 Aug. 25,1909 do....... do do do do do.. Aug. 24,1909 Aug. 25,1909 do do .....do Aug. 24,1909 do Aug. 25,1909 do Sept. 11,1909 Aug. 24,1909 Aug. 25,1909 do do Sept. 11,1909 Feet. 5.0 5.5 7.5 7.5 8.5 4.0 10.0 7.5 7.0 7.5 ■8.0 8.0 7.5 7.5 7.0 8.0 6.5 7.5 9.5 10.5 9.0 7.0 8.7 11.9 7.7 17.3 8.7 33.9 4.3 8.0 _ 2 6! 2 .8 2.0 .0 .3 .7 1.3 .5 .0 .0 1.7 .0 .0 10.5 10.3 9.3 23.3 33.4 34.8 16.0 6.3 5.7 13.3 5.0 6.3 1.0 .0 2.3 2.7 4.0 .0 .0 2.1 .0 2.4 0.3 .3 7.0 4.3 1.3 .3 5.7 .7 4.3 .4 5.8 6.7 5.6 .3 1.7 2.7 2.9 .0 1.1 1.7 .0 1.1 Bushels. 101 327 do 116 328 do 162 329 do 253 334 do 229 336 do 353 356 do 165 311 81 319 do 76 335 do 104 354 do 92 358 ...do 114 308 65 3io do 5 320 ...do 34 357 do 50 527 do 54 309 326 do 12 333 ..do 38 355 . do 531 .. do 24 SWASH ROCK. This bed lies inshore of the preceding, nearly surrounded by swash channels. It is connected by narrow isthmuses with Long Shoal and Dry Shoal Rocks and adjoins V Rock to the westward. It consists of a dense area surrounding two shoals ebbing bare, and two depleted areas which connect it with adjoining beds. Its condition and extent in August, 1909, was as follows: Oyster Growth on Swash Rock. Character of growth. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated total con- tent of oysters. Acres. 146 115 Bushels. 293 15 Bushels. 42, 778 1,725 Total. 261 44,503 The dense area as a whole is prolific in its product, but the middle part of the bed, between the shoal spots, is less densely covered than the surrounding area. It is estimated that at the beginning of the season a tonger could take an average of about 39 bushels of oysters per day. The covering of clean shells is sufficient to guarantee a good strike under favorable conditions. The depleted bottom is practically bare of oysters and shells and is at present and potentially worthless under natural conditions. 46 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. The following examinations were made during the survey: Details of Examination of Swash Rock. Station num- ber. Mean Date of ex- depth amination. of wa- ter. Feet. Aug. 25, 1909 5.0 ....do 7.0 Aug. 20,1909 12.0 Aug. 25,1909 9.0 Aug. 31,1909 14.0 Character of growth. Oysters caught per square yard. Spat. Culls. Counts. 29.2 41.4 0.0 12.3 17.3 7.0 .0 .0 .0 .0 1.2 1.9 .0 1.8 .9 Estimated quantity oysters per acre. 324 325 228 323 437 Dense. . . ....do... Depleted do... ....do... Bushels. 360 226 27 19 MULBERRY SWASH ROCK. This is a long narrow bed lying between Swash and V rocks on the outside and the so-called Marshy Island Rock on the shoreward side. At its southeastern end it is connected by narrow strips of indifferent productiveness with Wreck Shoal and Diy Shoal rocks, and its off- shore boundary is the edge of the deep swash channel running toward Mulberry Point. It consists essentially of bottom carrying a dense growth, inter- rupted at two places by areas of inferior productiveness. Its con- dition and extent in the latter part of August, 1909, are shown in the following table : Oyster Growth on Mulberry Swash Rock. Character of growth. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated total con- tent of oys- ters. Acres. 422 34 20 29 Bushels. 302 106 130 43 Bushels. 127, 444 3,604 2,600 1,247 Total 505 134, 895 The dense area bears a growth varying from 161 to 570 bushels per acre, and the depths vary from 8 to upward of 20 feet. The heavier growth is as a rule in the shoaler water, though this rule is not without exceptions. It is estimated that a tonger could take an average of about 23 bushels per day at the beginning of the season. The scattered area is limited in extent and bears a growth of be- tween 88 and 117 bushels per acre, in a depth of between 13 and 15 feet, and it is estimated that it will yield about 8 bushels per day. The area of very scattering growth connects this bed with Wreck Shoal Rock, and although, as shown by the foregoing table, the growth is heavier than on the preceding area, it lies in between 18 and 20 feet of water and will therefore be less productive to the tonger, its estimated initial yield being about 7 bushels per day. The de- pleted area is in several small patches. OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 47 There is an abundant supply of shells on the dense area, a quantity of doubtful sufficiency on the bottoms bearing scattering and very scattering growths, and a deficiency on the depleted bottom. Details of Examination of Mulberry Swash Rock. Station num- - ber. 213 219 220 226 227 230 238 331 338 346 432 433 435 436 345 434 Date of ex- amination. Aug. 19,1909 Aug. 20,1909 ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do Aug. 25,1909 do ....do Aug. 31, 1909 ....do ....do ....do Aug. 25,1909 Aug. 31,1909 Mean depth of wa- ter. Feet. 14.0 10.0 12.0 ..17. 5 12.5 12.0 15.0 16.5 9.0 11.0 16.5 13.0 13.0 14.0 18.0 17.0 Character of growth. Dense do do do do do do do do do do Scattering do do Very scattering. Depleted Oysters caught per square yard. Spat. Culls. Counts. 7.8 13.3 7.4 48.8 42.1 3.3 13.9 11.6 2.9 20.5 23.7 8.7 3.2 27.3 9.6 16.1 16.5 .6 26.5 31.9 2.3 16.8 30.0 6.8 23.8 80.0 4.2 28.9 34.0 .3 27.2 17.2 2.3 5.7 10.9 .3 5.8 10.7 2.7 3.6 17.3 1.0 5.4 16.4 1.8 .5 4.1 1.8 Estimated quantity oysters per acre. Bushels. 187 498 161 319 259 173 322 312 570 324 200 88 113 117 130 43 MARSHY ISLAND ROCK. This lies between Mulberry Swash Rock and the inshore boundary of the public ground, principally in the "addition" which was made a part of the ground subsequent to the Baylor survey. The name here employed is coined for the purpose of this report, as the name by which this area of oyster bottom is known to the oystermen, if it has a distinctive name, was not ascertained by the survey. The outer or offshore boundary of the bed is defined more or less sharply by a channel, carrying a maximum of from 21 to 27 feet of water, between this and Mulberry Swash Rock. The condition and extent of this bed about the middle of August, 1909, was as follows: Oyster Growth on Marshy Island Rock. Character of growth. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated total con- tent of oysters. Dense Acres. 197 322 235 387 Bushels. 231 129 85 18 Bushels. 45, 507 41,538 19,975 6,966 Scattering ■ Very scattering Depleted Total 1,141 113,980 The dense areas lie in three isolated patches which exhibit no mate- rial shoaling over the surrounding bottom, except where they touch the channel which bounds the bed offshore. The depth of water on 20201—10 4 48 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. the several areas ranges between 6 and 16 feet, and the density of growth between 142 and 410 bushels per acre. It is estimated that the bottoms are capable of producing an initial yield of about 18 bushels per day. The scattering area occupies a general central position in the bed surrounding one of the dense spots. The depth varies from 10 feet inshore to about 22 feet at the edge of the channel, and the quantity of oysters varies between 92 and 186 bushels per acre. The estimated daily yield to the tonger is about 10 bushels. The bottom covered by a very scattering growth forms a zone encircling the inner edge of the preceding. It lies in a depth varying from 7 to 16 feet, and, although the examinations were not as numerous as they should have been, they indicate that the growth is sufficient to yield an average of between 6 and 7 bushels per day. The depleted bottom lies in a belt on the inside edge of the bed. It is practically bare of oysters and shells. Shells are found in fair quantities on the dense bottom and on the outer parts of the scattering growth, but are deficient on the inshore parts of the latter, on most of the area of very scattering growth, and on the depleted area. The following observations were made : Details of Examination of Marshy Island Rock. Station num- ber. 217 225 232 239 221 222 224 231 233 223 234 218 Mean Date of ex- depth amination. of wa- ter. Feet. Aug. 19,1909 13.0 Aug. 20,1909 12.5 do 14.0 do 11.5 do 13.0 do 14.0 do 9.5 do 17.0 do 11.0 do 9.0 do 16.0 Aug. 19,1909 12.0 Character of growth. Oysters caught per square yard. Spat. Culls. Counts. 5.4 12.7 4.6 6.2 23.1 1.9 10.4 54.3 8.3 7.7 11.5 9.6 6.7 9.6 .8 8.1 9.2 1.2 2.1 8.8 7.5 10.9 23.6 .9 7.3 12.1 2.8 1.2 5.8 4.2 4.5 15.9 .5 .0 .8 1.3 Estimated quantity oysters per acre. Dense do do do Scattering do do do do Very scattering. do Depleted • 142 170 410 201 92 102 136 186 129 81 109 18 LONG SHOAL ROCK. This triangular bed flanks a shoal, ebbing bare in many places, which extends eastwardly from Point of Shoals light-house for a distance of upward of 1^ miles. As understood in this report, its boundary is an imaginary line running from Point of Shoals light toward Jail Island at an average distance of about 300 to 400 yards from the crest of the shoal, as far as the swash channel opening toward the northwest, along the edge of this channel to its mouth, and thence to the starting point. The main body of the rock, therefore, lies north of the crest of the bar. Its condition and extent about the beginning of September, 1909, were as follows: OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 49 Oyster Growth on Long Shoal Rock. Character of growth. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated total con- tent of oysters. Acres. 331 10 84 79 Bushels. 241 64 60 16 Bushels. 79, 771 640 5,040 1,264 Total 504 86,715 A dense growth of small oysters, with a good proportion of larger ones in a few spots, covers the major part of the bed. At various places the total growth varies between 148 and 364 bushels per acre, and it is estimated that at the beginning of the season a tonger could take about 28 bushels per day. The scattering growth is comprised in one small spot about 100 to 200 yards from the light-house, where about 9 bushels per day may be taken. The very scattering growth lies in two small patches along the western border of the bed and a larger area south of the ridge is con- tinuous with similar bottom on Point of Shoals Rock. It is capable of yielding between 6 and 7 bushels per day. The depleted area lies south of the outer half of the ridge, with a small patch on the swash channel. It is practically bare of oysters and shells. The areas bearing oysters in dense and scattering growth are cov- ered with a supply of shells amply sufficient to serve the purposes of cultch. The small patches of very scattering growth are also fairly covered, but the large area south of the ridge and the depleted area adjoining are deficient. The following observations were made: Details of Examination of Long Shoal Rock. Station num- Date of ex- amination. Mean depth of wa- ter. Character of growth. Oysters caught per square yard. Estimated quantity oysters per acre. ber. Spat. Culls. Counts. 295 Aug. 24,1909 do do do do do do do Aug. 25,1909 Sept. 11,1909 do Aug. 24,1909 do Sept. 11,1909 Aug. 24,1909 Sept. 11,1909 do do do do Feet. 8.0 10.0 12.5 6.5 6.5 7.5 8.0 6.0 5.0 5.0 6.0 11.0 9.0 4.0 8.5 6.5 7.0 7.0 6.0 6.0 25.8 20.4 11.9 22.8 19.2 20.3 19.7 40.7 .0 19.7 1.1 6.1 2.1 3.9 1.4 .0 1.3 .0 .2 .5 29.7 25.4 13.4 17.1 10.0 7.3 25.8 30.7 4.6 21.4 6.6 4.5 3.3 3.2 1.1 1.1 3.4 .5 .5 .5 2.3 .4 9.6 2.5 12.5 .7 .0 .0 13.1 .0 2.3 1.9 4.2 .0 2.5 .5 .3 .3 . 2 .2 Bushels. 308 296 do 237 298 do... 232 299 do... 230 300 do 283 301 do 148 313 . .do 232 318 322 do .do.. 364 164 529 541 297 do Scattering 210 64 74 312 do 72 538 307 do 36 39 528 11 534 .do 27 535 .do . 6 539 .do . 6 540 do 7 50 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. V ROCK. This bed takes it name from the shape of a bare shoal near its southwestern edge. It is inshore of the preceding rock and adjoins Swash Rock to the southeast. The area and character of growth on the bed are epitomized in the following table : Oyster Growth on V Rock. Character of growth. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated total con- tent of oysters. Acres. 240 73 73 Bushels. 227 84 15 Bushels. 54 480 6 132 1,095 Total 386 61 707 The dense area occupies the middle belt of the bed and carries a growth of between 144 and 344 bushels per acre, the average estimated yield per day to the tonger being about 21 bushels. The very scattering growth lies along the northwestern edge of the bed and on a comparatively shallow ridge along the swash channel near its mouth. It bears oysters in a quantity to yield about 7 bushels per acre. The depleted area adjoins similar bottom on Swash Rock and is practically bare of both oysters and shells. The supply of shells on the rest of the bed is ample to secure their reseeding under proper conditions. The data for the bed are as follows: Details op Examination op V Rock. Station num- ber. Mean Date of ex- depth amination. of wa- ter. Feet. Aug. 20,1909 9.0 do 12.5 do 10.5 Aug. 23,1909 12.5 Aug. 24,1909 9.5 do 7.5 do 6.5 do 15.5 do 10.0 do 9.5 do 10.0 do 10.0 Character of growth. Oysters caught per square yard. Spat. Culls. Counts. 31.8 16.5 1.7 10.8 45.7 .4 20.6 19.4 .0 4.4 15.2 9.6 21.7 10.4 .8 18.3 10.0 .0 47.7 19.7 .0 13.9 14.6 4.8 22.5 18.7 .8 2.5 7.9 2.9 1.3 .4 2.1 .0 .0 .0 Estimated quantity oysters per 229 235 236 268 303 304 305 306 317 302 315 316 Dense. ....do. do do do do ....do ....do ....do Very scattering . Depleted do Bushels. 265 293 204 203 173 144 344 197 219 84 31 OYSTER BEDS OP 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. Acres. 37 6 Bushels. 265 168 Bushels. 9,805 1,008 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 of 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 oysters per acre. ber. Spat. Culls. Counts. 241 Aug. 20,1909 Aug. 23,1909 do .....do Aug. 20,1909 Feet. 9.5 10.5 6.5 5.5 20.5 33.4 19.6 28.3 13.3 10.4 35.4 19.2 33.4 13.0 12.5 0.0 2.5 3.3 .0 .0 Bushels. 351 265 do 225 266 do 350 267 do 134 242 168 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 Rock 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. 52 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. The general distribution of oysters on Horsehead Rock is as follows : Oyster Growth on Horsehead Rock. Character of growth. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated total con- tent of oysters. Acres. 33 192 139 16 Bushels. 223 104 112 Bushels. 7,359 19, 968 15, 568 Total 380 42,895 The areas of dense growth are on the terminal isolated shoal and in two small patches on the main part of the bed. The growth varies between 178 and 283 bushels per acre, and it is estimated that the area as a whole will yield an average of 20 bushels per day to the tonger at the beginning of the season. On the areas of scattering oysters the density of growth is between 47 and 170 bushels per acre, and it is estimated that they are capable of yielding, at the beginning of the season, an average of about 7 bushels per day per tonger. On the bottom which is rated as carrying a very scattering growth the average per acre is slightly higher than on the preceding, but as the water is deeper it is less productive in its return per day of labor expended on it. The depleted bottom lies inshore, close to Mulberry Point, and is practically, in many cases absolutely, bare of oysters and almost as deficient in shells. On all other areas the deposit of shells is good or fair. "^ Details op Examination of Horsehead Rock. Station num- ber. Mean Date of ex- depth amination. of wa- ter. Feet. Aug. 23,1909 14.0 do 7.0 do 16.0 do 7.0 do 18.5 do 9.0 do 12.0 do 7.0 do 12.0 Aug. 24,1909 4.5 Aug. 23,1909 16.0 Aug. 24,1909 6.0 do 5.5 do 5.0 do 4.5 do 5.0 do 7.5 Character of growth. Oysters caught per square yard. Spat. Culls. Counts. 19.3 35.4 0.4 16.5 22.7 .3 6.5 29.6 4.1 9.1 24.5 .6 4.1 6.4 10.9 6.5 16.9 1.'2 5.4 15.1 .5 8.1 5.9 .3 7.1 12.5 .4 .4 5.6 1.1 4.5 16.3 .5 .0 .0 .3 .0 .2 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 Estimated quantity oysters per acre. 256 257 258 263 255 259 261 262 264 273 260 274 280 291 292 293 294 Dense do do do Scattering do do do do do Very scattering. Depleted ...ido .do. .do. .do. .do. Bushels. 283 203 227 178 170 122 110 74 104 47 112 4 1 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. DEEPWATER SHOALS ROCK. 53 This is considered as including all oyster bottoms within the Bay- lor lines above Mulberry Point. Its condition and extent are as follows : Oyster Growth on Deepwater Shoal Rock. Character of growth. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated total con- tent of oysters. Acres. 17 21 241 Bushels. 129 57 12 Bushels. 2,193 1,097 2,892 Total 279 6,182 The comparatively small productive area on this bed all lies within a radius of about 1,000 yards of Deepwater Shoals Light-House, most of it being in the immediate vicinity of the light. The dense area is in two small patches on which there is a sufficient growth to yield an average maximum of about 15 bushels per day of actual tonging. The very scattering areas are three in number, all more or less intimately associated with the preceding. They should yield about 6 bushels per day at the beginning of the season. The depleted area is practically devoid of oysters. On the areas of dense and very scattering growth there is a good covering of shells, and they are also found in ample numbers on the depleted area within a radius of 1,000 or 1,200 yards of the light, but elsewhere the bed is practically denuded. The following examinations were made: Details op Examination op Deepwater Shoals Rock. Station num- ber. Date of ex- amination. Mean depth of wa- ter. Character of growth. Oyst ers caught per square yard. Spat. Culls. Counts. 4.6 12.6 0.3 2.1 12.9 5.8 1.2 17.0 .9 1.2 7.3 .0 .0 .8 4.2 .0 7.7 3.3 .9 4.9 3.0 .3 2.9 .6 .0 .2 .0 .3 1.5 .0 .7 2. 2 .0 Estimated quantity oysters per acre. 270 285 272 284 286 288 271 282 283 287 Aug. 23,1909 ....do Aug. 24,1909 Aug. 23,1909 Aug. 24,1909 do ....do Aug. 23,1909 Aug. 24,1909 do ....do Feet. 4.0 9.0 8.0 5.0 10.0 8.0 7.0 6.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 Dense ....do ....do Very scattering. ....do do do Depleted ....do do do Bushels. 91 1.38 158 44 49 74 62 23 1 9 15 54 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. ROCK WHARF SHOALS ROCK. This bed lies near the western end of Public Ground No. 1, Isle of Wight County, across the river from the group of seed beds previously described. It forms two patches surrounding shoals and consists principally of productive bottom, as shown in the following table: Oyster Growth on Rock Wharf Shoals Rock. Character of growth. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated total con- tent of oysters. Acres. 18 8 BushcU. 140 11 Bushels. 2,520 88 Total 26 2,608 The dense area should yield an average of about 22 bushels of oysters per day, and is fairly covered with clean shells. The de- pleted bottom is practically bare of both oysters and shells. Details op Examination op Rock Wharf Shoals Rock. Station num- Date of ex- amination. Mean depth of wa- ter. Character of growth. Oysters caught per square yard. Estimated quantity oysters per acre. ber. Spat. Culls. Counts. 421 Aug. 28,1909 do do Feet. 4 6 3 7.3 11.3 .0 13.6 15.7 .2 2.1 1.4 .9 Bushels. 129 422 420 do Depleted 152 - 11 BEDS BETWEEN ROCK WHARF SHOALS AND SPINDLE ROCK. These cover the largest area of productive bottom in the ground, distributed in three patches. Their aggregate area and extent are as follows: Oyster Growth on Beds Between Rock Wharf Shoals and Spindle Rock. Character of growth. Area. Oysters per acre. Total con- tent of oysters. Acres. 45 5 37 Bushels. 140 46 18 Bushels. 6,300 230 666 Total 87 7,196 The dense areas are close to the shoal spots and in various places bear from 101 to 178 bushels per acre, the average density being sufficient to yield about 22 bushels per day to the tonger. OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 55 The bottom of very scattering growth covers but a small spot at the outer end of the middle shoal, and the density of growth is suffi- cient to yield barely 5 bushels of seed oysters per day. The depleted bottom is practically denuded. It bears very few shells, and the very scattering bottom is little better in this respect, but the shell deposit on the dense .areas is good. Details op Examination of Beds Between Rock Wharf Shoals and Spindle Rock. Station Date of ex- amination. Mean depth of wa- ter. Character of growth. Oysters caught per square yard. Estimated quantity ber. Spat. Culls. Counts. acre. 409 Aug. 28,1909 do do do do do do do Feet. 4.0 6.0 7.0 5.0 3.5 7.5 6.5 7.0 8.6 17.0 9.2 9.4 6.2 .5 .3 .0 18.2 10.0 9.0 20.0 8.4 3.1 1.3 .3 1.0 .8 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.6 1.3 1.3 Bushels. 147 417 ..do 146 418 .do 121 419 do 178 425 do 101 424 46 410 416 Depleted .do 22 15 SPINDLE ROCK. This bed follows the line of a shoal at right angles to the shores. It consists principally of a dense growth, with insignificant areas of very scattering oysters and depleted bottom at its inner end. Its area and condition at the time of the survey were as follows : Oyster Growth on Spindle Rock. Character of growth. Area. Oysters per acre. Estimated total con- tent of oysters. Acres. 14 3 2 Bushels. 140 27 12 Bushels. 1.960 81 24 Total 19 2,065 The dense area bears a growth of between 119 and 179 bushels per acre, and is capable of producing about 21 bushels of oysters per day's tonging; the area of very scattering growth will yield barely 5 bushels and the depleted bottom about 2 bushels. The area of dense growth bears a good supply of shells, that of very scattering growth hardly enough to insure reseeding except under the best conditions, while the depleted bottom is deficient. 56 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. The following examinations were made: Details of Examination or Spindle Rock. Station num- ber. 415 426 427 411 412 Date of ex- amination. Aug. 28,1909 ....do ....do ....do ....do Mean depth of wa- ter. Feet. 6.0 4.0 6.0 4.0 4.5 Character of growth. Dense do do Very scattering Depleted Oysters caught per square yard. Spat. Culls. Counts 7.7 8.' 8 7.4 1.3 .0 19.7 14.0 13.6 2.6 3.7 .4 1.1 .7 .7 Estimated quantity oysters per acre. Bushels. 179 120 119 27 12 DAYS POINT SHOAL BED. This follows a shoal but part of which is included in the public ground. The part included embraces a dense growth capable of yielding to the tonger about 27 bushels of oysters per day. The following is the result of the examination made : Details of Examination of Days Point Shoal Rock. Sta- tion Date of examination. Mean depth of water. Character of growth. Oysters caught per square yard. Estimated quantity . oysters per acre. ber. Spat. Culls. Counts. 413 Aug. 28,1909 Feet. 4.5 7.2 22.3 1.5 Bushels. 166 PUBLIC GROUNDS. The public oyster grounds of Virginia are those areas of the bot- toms of tide water which are included within the lines of the Baylor survey and additions thereto upon which the public is permitted to take oysters at certain seasons of the year on compliance with cer- tain conditions, and which are withheld from lease for purposes of oyster culture under private and exclusive control. The public grounds were designed to include all of the natural rocks, though, as has been explained previously, no actual examination was made for the purpose of really determining the facts. The boundaries are necessarily straight lines and do not purport to con- form to the outlines of the actual rocks, and largely for this reason they can not fail to include within their confines more or less barren bottom. The relation which the barren bottoms bear to that which actually produces oysters has been in more or less acrimonious dis- pute between the tongers and dredgers on the one hand and the planters and their partisans on the other, and it was largely to secure authentic and definite information on this point that the present survey was undertaken. OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. J) 7 The public grounds are officially designated by numbers and the name of the county within which they are supposed to lie, and on the accompanying charts their boundaries, accurately platted from the charts of the Baylor survey, are indicated by broken black lines. The boundaries of the natural rocks, as determined by the present survey, are shown in solid red lines, within which the varying density of oyster growth is shown by the relative density of the shading. An inspection of the charts will show that the natural rocks are more or less scattered, between and about them lying barren bottoms, shown as unshaded areas, within the boundaries of the Baylor survey. At various places it was found that certain private grounds, as indicated by the' boundary stakes, encroached more or less on the public grounds, though from the flimsy character of the marks it was difficult in many cases to determine the real facts. This apparent encroachment of private interests on the public domain was observed at various places in Nansemond River, between Fishing Point and Ballards Marsh, about Creek Channel Shoal and Aaron Shoal rocks, in the vicinity of Browns Shoal rocks, at the inshore edges of Kettle Hole and Blunt Point rocks, and at various places between Jail Island and Mulberry Point. Whatever may have been the conditions under which this en- croachment was originally permitted, it was undoubtedly aided by the latter-day uncertainty as to the Baylor boundaries. Apparently but little effort has been made to maintain or replace the shore marks to which the corners of the Baylor survey were referred, and a number of them appear to be now unavailable for reference. The irregularity of the boundaries has also made the maintenance of the lines more difficult, and the same conditions have made it almost impossible for the oyster police to prevent the planters from depre- dating the public beds beyond their staked boundaries. These reasons have made it important to both "natural growthers" and planters that an examination should be made into the actual location of the productive areas or those which, though at present more or less unproductive, may be reasonably expected to recuperate under proper natural conditions. To assist to an understanding of the conditions on the public beds as a whole the following discussion is offered. The several public beds in the region surveyed are considered with regard to the relative areas of dense, scattered, very scattered, and depleted growths, and barren bottom. The first four are measured from the results of the present survey, while the barren bottom is regarded as the difference between the sum of these areas and the areas of the public beds according to Baylor's computations, the data being ex- hibited in tabular form for each of the several public grounds. For each public ground or for each fraction or combination considered as an entity in the following pages, there are furnished tables and 58 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. summaries of the estimated total contents of market oysters, as distributed by rocks and varying densities of growth. These esti- mates are interesting, but are misleading if regarded as a measure of productiveness, for a very sparse growth over a large area, as compared with a dense growth over a small one, will give a great aggregate which really represents nothing commercially, as the oysters may be so thinly scattered as to be totally unavailable industrially. The important point is not how many oysters there may be on a given bed at a given time, but the quantity of oysters available under existing local economic conditions, the maximum number of bushels that can be removed with profit to the tonger. It is unnecessary to explain to those familiar with the oyster industry that it is practically impossible to accomplish a complete denudation of the beds in any one season, but there are cases known to the writer, though he has no personal knowledge of the kind in the region under discussion, in which small rocks have been, in effect, taken up bodily, oysters, seed, and shells, and transferred to planted beds. Under ordinary circumstances, in localities where the cull laws can be and are reasonably enforced, not only the seed or young oysters but a considerable proportion of the market oysters are left on the be'ds at the end of the season. Eventually, however, the oysters become so scattered that the daily yield to the tonger be- comes less than a minimum daily wage, and while the aggregate quantity of marketable oysters left on the beds appears large when expressed in a total of bushels, as in the tables of total contents, it will no longer pay to take them. The minimum average density of growth to which a bed may be reduced before becoming commer- cially unproductive depends primarily upon the price of oysters. The smaller the market value of a bushel of oysters the greater is the quantity that must be taken per day to furnish a living wage. Another factor that is essentially involved is the amount of culling required, less labor being necessary in handling the oysters when they are single or in small clusters than when they are badly clustered and overgrown with young, from which they must be separated before being placed on the market. The depth of water is also a very important factor in determining the actual density of growth necessary to render a bed commercially productive. As has been explained in describing the methods pur- sued in the preparation of this report, the deeper the water the greater must be the quantity of oysters per square yard or acre necessary to afford the tonger a given catch per day. Not only do his tongs of any given length of shaft and head cover a smaller area on the bottom, but the time and labor of making the "grab " — that is, putting the tongs on the bottom, scraping up the oysters, and pulling them up — are materially increased. In other words, in deep water OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 59 not only is the area covered by a "grab" smaller, but, other things being equal, fewer "grabs" can be made in an hour than in a smaller depth. In the tables shown in this report and on the chart these factors have all been considered in estimating the relative density of the beds. In the estimation of the available contents of the rocks as exhibited in the following tables the same factors have been con- sidered. It is assumed that, at the price which has recently been received for market oysters in the region under consideration — namely, 45 cents per bushel — it would be wholly unprofitable to tong on bottoms which would yield less than 3 bushels of culled oysters per day, exclusive of the time spent in culling, which would ordi- narily involve part of the time of a second man or boy. In the same way at the price of seed oysters, namely 30 cents per bushel, it is assumed to be equally unprofitable to tong on bottoms yielding less than 4 bushels, exclusive of shells. It can not be argued that this limit is too high, but undoubtedly it will be claimed by some that it is entirely too low. The objection would be well founded if it were to apply wholly to areas on which the initial density of growth was such as to afford the minimum yield adopted, but it will not lie against the application of the standard to areas of greater initial productiveness. A dense bed in course of partial denudation by tonging is not uniformly depleted over its whole area. The tongers spread themselves more or less promiscuously over the rocks and take up practically all of the oysters in patches, while other areas are, for the time being, inadvertently left untouched. Later many of these untouched spots are tonged with profit, until the worked areas become so great in proportion to those which have been overlooked that the time spent in searching for the latter makes fur- ther work unremunerative. At this stage of temporary abandon- ment the rock consists of a few small patches of productive bottom, areas which are practically bare of market oysters, and others which have been worked over but still retain some oysters scattered over them by the operations of tonging. It is of course impossible, from the complexity and irregularity of the conditions obtaining on an oyster bed, to fix a limit of more than reasonable accuracy. In pre- paring the following tables the present available productiveness of each area has been considered with regard to the terms of its initial yield to the tonger and its total estimated contents above that which would give a return of 3 bushels per day's work on the market oyster beds and 4 bushels on the seed beds. The depleted areas and most of the areas covered by what is called very scattered growth are there- fore negligible as present factors. A very few areas in the depleted bottoms and a somewhat greater proportion of the bottoms bearing a very scattering growth are of potential value as bearing small oysters and shells which reasonably assure future regeneration. 60 OYSTEE BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. These are pointed out in the following discussion of the several public grounds: PUBLIC GROUNDS NO. 2 NANSEMOND COUNTY AND NO. 6 ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY. These two grounds overlap, as platted on the state charts, and as they can not be accurately differentiated in the conflicting area they may be most conveniently considered together. The former bed begins at the upper limit of oyster growth in the Nansemond River off Cedar Point, and becoming continuous with No. 6 near Newport News Rock, the latter extends along the right side of the James River to beyond Ballards Marsh Rock. Ground No. 2 is said to contain 3,319.6 acres, and Ground No. 6, 4,148.2 acres, a total of 7,467.8; but there is an -overlap or duplication of about 305 acres, and deducting this, the actual total area of the two beds may be assumed to be about 7,162.8 acres. The following is a resume of the extent of the oyster bottoms of the several rocks and the barren bottom embraced within the limits of these grounds : Areas of Oyster Growth in Public Grounds No. 2 Nansemond County and No. 6 Isle of Wight County. Name of oyster rock. Oyster growth. Dense. Scatter- ing. Very scatter- ing. Depleted, Total. Larkins Nansemond Ridge Drum Shoal Newport News Cruiser Shoal Between Nansemond Ridge and Fishing Point a. High shoal Trout Shoal Dog Shoal Fishing Point Between Fishing Point and Ballards Marsh Ballards Marsh Acres. 85 4 27 50 24 16 45 5 Acres. 446 19 27 19 13 25 11 77 4 Acres. 294 14 12 26 5 24 14 35 47 8 33 Acres. 39 782 95 129 32 7 95 90 120 90 18 142 Acres. 39 1,607 128 172 104 62 156 129 182 259 31 179 Total oyster area. Total barren bottom... 256 641 512 3,048 4,114. Total Baylor survey. a 8 acres undetermined. It will be observed from this table that the barren bottom, as de- veloped by this survey, exceeds the area of the oyster rocks and con- stitutes about 57 per cent of the area of the two public grounds under discussion. The depleted bottom, which, excepting the places noted in the detailed descriptions of the several beds, is at present unpro- ductive and of a character that gives little or no promise of future regeneration, forms about 23 per cent of the total area included within the Baylor lines. Assuming that the areas of very scattering OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 61 growth, at present practically worthless so far as actual productive- ness is concerned, are capable of coming into production at some time in the future, by virtue of the young growth and clean shells that they bear, it will be seen that the actual productive oyster rocks form only about 20 per cent of the area of these two public grounds. The estimated total marketable contents of the grounds, based upon the distribution of oysters as indicated by the chain, and the actual productiveness of the various areas as determined by actual count and measurement, is exhibited in the following table: Content of Market Oysters, Public Grounds No. 2 Nansemond-County and No. 6 Isle of Wight County. Name of rock. Dense. Scatter- ing. Very scatter- ing. Depleted. Total. Larkins Nansemond Ridge Drum Newport News Cruiser Shoal Flat Rock, etc High Shoal Trout Shoal Dog Shoal Fishing Point Between Fishing Point and Ballards Marsh. Ballards Marsh Bushels Bushels. Bushels. 7,905 432 4,212 5,400 2,160 26, 760 950 1,701 1,007 1,664 5, 355 1,340 624 1,100 ' 507 6,314 124 10,878 546 420 728 210 600 420 945 2,068 248 792 Bushels. 195 8,602 2,755 3,483 288 182 807 720 1,416 1,710 Bushels. 195 54, 145 4,251 6,036 6,235 5,792 4,191 2,240 4,532 15, 447 1,588 1,810 Total 28, 468 39, 087 17, 855 21,052 106, 462 This indicates that if it were possible to "clean up" completely the entire area covered by the oyster rocks, the product would be about 106,000 bushels of marketable oysters. When an analysis is made, it is speedily apparent that the commercially available supply on these beds is only about 40 per cent of the foregoing, as stated in the following table: Available Content of Market Oysters, Public Grounds No. 2 Nansemond County and No. 6 Isle of Wight County. Name of rock. Dense. Scatter- ing. Very scatter- ing. Total. Larkins Nansemond Ridge Drum Newport News Cruiser Shoal Flat Rock, etc High Shoal Trout Shoal Dog Shoal Fishing Point Between Fishing Point and Ballards Marsh. Ballards Marsh Bushels. Bushels. Bushels. Bushels. Total. 5,500 350 3,400 3,600 1,500 13,500 400 850 700 1,000 100 1,200 4,400 1,200 350 600 250 3,600 100 75 300 "ioo" 20, 000 500 1,200 4,100 3,600 1, 950 600 1,450 8,300 1,200 175 21, 150 20, 325 1,600 43, 075 62 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. It will be observed that on the basis assumed in this report the depleted areas are wholly unproductive commercially, and the bottoms covered with very scattered growth are practically so. On the latter the growth in many cases is barely sufficient to yield 3 bushels per day, and in no case does it much exceed that limit. The large aggregate of market oysters on the areas of very scattered and depleted bottoms are so thinly distributed as to be unavailable commercially, and are therefore valueless except as brood stock to assist in furnishing spat for replenishing the beds. On the dense areas about three-fourths of the total contents and on the scattering: growths about one-half may be taken with profit. The total estimated available product of 43,075 bushels appears very small as compared with the area included within the Baylor lines, averaging but about 6 bushels per acre. It is about half of the average yield of marketable oysters on the public grounds of the State as a whole in 1901 and 1904, according to the statistics of the Bureau of Fisheries, and about equal to the average yield in 1908, as stated by the Bureau of the Census. The deficiency in productiveness of this section was to be expected in view of public report. The beds, especially in Nansemond River, are generally recognized as being seriously depleted, the allegation of the tongers being that several years ago large quantities of unculled stock were taken from the beds for deposit on private planting ground, and the tonger employed by the survey is authority for the statement that the growth on the Nansemond River beds in the season preceding the investigation was hardly sufficient to warrant tonging. Combining the exhibits of the tables of areas and of commercially available oysters, we find that it apparently would be profitable to take from the dense growths about 83 bushels per acre and from the scattering growths an average of about 32 bushels. On the bottoms with a very scattering growth the average content per acre at the beginning of the present oyster season was so small that, even under the very low standard of profit adopted in this report, the beds would be reduced to unproductiveness after an average of only about 3 bushels of oysters per acre had been removed. Of course a very large part of this bottom must be regarded as practically unproductive in the beginning, and it is only here and there that even the least ambitious tonger would venture to work. Another aspect of the present state of these grounds is the production of young oysters and the presence of shells in such quantities and cleanliness as to afford prospect of a strike under proper conditions. The following table gives the estimated total content of the several rocks and of the grounds as a whole in oysters less than 3 inches long : OYSTEE BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 63 Total Content of Young or Seed Oysters, Public Grounds No. 2 Nansemond County and No. 6 Isle of Wight County. Name of rock. Dense. Scatter- Very scatter- ing. Depleted. Total. Larkins Nansemond Ridge. Drum. Newport News Cruiser Shoal Flat Rock, etc High Shoal Trout Shoal Dog Shoal Fishing Point Between Fishing Point and Ballards Marsh. Ballards Marsh Bush. Bush. 12,580 Total 31, 818 372 3,780 150 3,216 59,318 1,748 2,025 893 2,480 8,325 915 1,651 4,112 1,989 13, 706 80,050 Bush. 854 996 1,326 275 1,392 1,652 770 3,290 6,303 26,854 Bush. 390 27,370 5,890 4,386 2,112 112 760 1,890 4,838 2,700 6,590 57,038 Bush . 390 109, 264 8,492 7,779 8,111 537 7,019 7,654 10,077 28, 021 915 13,501 201, 7C0 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. 20201—10 5 64 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. PUBLIC GROUND NO. 1 WARWICK COUNTY, BELOW DEEP CREEK. This public ground, while continuous in its lines from near New- port News to above Deepwater Shoals Light, is divided, for purposes of administration, by a line running from Deep Creek to Days Point. Below this line the cull law is in force and tonging is practically confined to taking oysters for the market, while above the line it is legally permissible to take oysters of all sizes for planting purposes. The total area of the portion of the bed here discussed is about 5,515 acres. It embraces six well-defined rocks or groups of rocks, the general condition and area of which are shown in the following table, which also includes a very small contiguous and overlapping area at the inshore edge of Kettle Hole Rock, known as Public Ground No. 2 Warwick County: Areas of Oyster Growth, Public Ground No. 1 Warwick County, Deep Creek. Below Name of oyster rock. Dense. Scatter- ing. Very scat- tering. Depleted. Total. Acres. 68 6 258 76 16 44 Acres. 44 66 118 69 Acres. 27 16 111 100 225 10 Acres. 226 4 11 127. 118 52 Acres. 365 26 Kettle Hole . 446 421 Blunt Point 428 White Shoal 106 468 297 489 538 1,792 3,723 5,515 As shown above, the barren bottom is equal to about 68 per cent of the area included within the Baylor lines, while the depleted area, which is almost uniformly worthless in its present condition, is equal to about 10 per cent. Assuming, as has been done in the discussion of the preceding grounds, that the bottom bearing a very scattering growth, of little or no present value so far as its market-oyster con- tent is concerned, is capable of regeneration under the operation of natural agencies, the total present or prospective productive bottom constitutes about 22 per cent of the entire area. The following table shows the estimated present market-oyster content of the several rocks and their respective subdivisions according to density of growth : OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 65 Content op Market Oysters, Public Ground No. 1 Warwick County, Below Deep Creek. Name of rock. Dense. Scatter- ing. Very scat- tering. Depleted. Total. Bushels. 12, 444 912 27,090 8,745 2,576 5,588 Bushels. ■ 2,376 Bushels. 1,053 480 4,662 5,100 10, 125 3C0 Bushels. 904 Bushels. 16,777 1,392 Kettle Hole 5,412 8,378 4,140 37, 164 2, 607 1,652 624 24, 890 Blunt Point 18.493 White Shoal 6,572 Total : 57, 355 20,306 21, 780 5,847 105,288 The total content is nearly equal to that of the two grounds first described, but it will be observed that it is differently distributed, the dense areas bearing about twice the quantity of marketable oys- ters, the scattering about half as many, the very scattering about one-third more, and the depleted about three-fourths the quantity. With the exception of the depleted bottom, the average growth per acre is in each case somewhat greater than upon the grounds on the opposite side of the James and in the Nansemond River. As will be understood from what has gone before, this distribution of the total content is to the distinct advantage of the oysterman, as a larger proportion of the oysters may be removed before work on the beds becomes unremunerative. The estimated available content of the beds embraced within this part of the public grounds — that is, the probable maximum yield during the present season — is shown in the following table: Available Content op Market Oysters, Public Ground No. 1 Warwick County, Below Deep Creek. Name of rock. Dense. Scatter- ing. Very scat- tering. Total. Bushels. 9,800 600 18,900 6,000 2,000 4,000 Bushels. 1,200 Bushels. 250 Bushels. 11,250 Gun 600 Kettle Hole 2,700 4,200 2,000 800 500 2,000 22,400 10, 700 Blunt Point 6,000 White Shoal 4,000 Total 41,300 10, 100 3,550 54,950 Practically four-fifths of the available oysters are found on the areas charted as bearing a dense growth, and about two-thirds of the remainder are on the areas of scattering growth. The bottoms cov- ered by oysters in very scattering growths are slightly more produc- tive than the average of the grounds previously described, but there are comparatively few spots on which a tonger could make a mini- mum livelihood. It is estimated that on the dense areas as a whole nearly three-fourths of the total content, on the scattering areas 66 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. about one-half, and on the very scattering areas not over one-sixth could be removed with profit. The depleted bottoms are worthless for their present product of market oysters. The yield per acre of bottom included within the Baylor lines is considerably greater than on the grounds previously described, the average being almost 10 bushels, 2 bushels less than the average of the entire public area of Virginia in 1904, and considerably more than the average reported by the Census Bureau in 1908. The average available product of the oyster rocks, excluding all barren bottom but not that which is depleted, is about 30 bushels per acre. The average of the dense area is about 88 bushels, of the scattering area 34 bushels, and of the very scattering growth about 7 bushels per acre. The rocks in this ground are, on the whole, so far as present productiveness is concerned, in better condition than those across the river. The probable future productiveness of the beds, so far as the present existence of young oysters is concerned, is illustrated in the following table: Total Content op Young or Seed Oysters, Public Ground No. 1 Warwick County, Below Deep Creek. Name of rock. Dense. Scatter- ing. Very scat- tering. Depleted. Total. Bushels. 8,568 1,188 81,786 12,768 2,736 14, 728 Bushels. 6, 248 Bushels. 2,376 992 19,980 10, 300 23, 625 1,080 Bushels. 1,130 Bushels. 18,322 Gun 2,180 Kettle Hole 13, 662 20,060 13,317 115.428 10,160 4,956 2,756 53,288 Blunt Point 44,634 White Shoal 18, 564 Total 121,774 53, 287 58, 353 19,002 252, 41G The exhibit here is much more favorable than on the rocks included n the grounds previously described, the average growth of young oysters on the dense and very scattering areas being over double that on the beds across the river, while that on the scattering area is about 35 per cent greater. Practically everywhere on the areas of dense and scattered growth there is a prolific growth of 3 7 oung oysters and an abundance of clean shells, and there is no present prospect of the failure of these areas to continue to produce marketable oysters under ordinary conditions and with a reasonable enforcement of the laws. On the areas of very scattering growth the conditions are mixed, some places being well insured against the future and others being decidedly deficient in both young growth and clean shells. On Browns Shoal Rocks there is, with the exception of a few places, an abundance of shells; but there are only two or three patches where there is a supply of small oysters ample to replace the present market growth. On Kettle Hole Rock the conditions are good practically everywhere, but on Thomas Point and OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 67 Blunt Point Rocks there are but a few places where the young growth is prolific, and there are some in which neither young nor shells are found in even the minimum quantity requisite. On White Shoal Rock the condition on the areas of very scattering growth is in general satisfactory. On the depleted bottoms as a whole the average growth of young oysters is about equal to that on similar bottom across the river, and there appears to be but little prospect of the future improvement of these areas, although there are a few spots on Thomas Point and White Shoal Rocks, in proximity to productive areas, where the growth of young is good. MINOR PUBLIC GROUNDS. In the Nansemond River and on the right side of James River there are several small public grounds, all of which are insignificant both in area and productiveness, and some of which were examined not at all or unsatisfactorily. They are as follows (somewhat more detailed data concerning some of them may be found in the descriptions of the individual rocks) : Nansemond County Ground No. 3. This was intended to include Holland Rock and at present contains in depleted bottom about 22 acres, on which there are a very few oysters and shells and about 33.9 acres of barren bottom. Isle of Wight County Ground No. 2 contains about 9 acres of bottom of various degrees of productiveness, 24 acres of depleted and 16.8 acres of barren bottom. Its general condition is related in the de- scription of Aaron Shoal Rock, its only natural bed. Isle of Wight County Ground No. 3 adjoins the preceding and has an area of 6| acres. It was not examined in the present survey. Isle of Wight County Ground No. 4 lies inshore of the preceding and covers about 3 acres of apparently depleted bottom. Isle of Wight County Ground No. 5 embraces Creek Channel Shoal Rock, covering about 2 acres of depleted and 5.1 acres of barren bottom. Its present condition is described under the name of the rock. PUBLIC GROUND NO. 1 WARWICK COUNTY, ABOVE DEEP CREEK. The lower part of this ground, lying below Deep Creek, is within the area from which market oysters only can be taken and is there- fore subject to the operations of the cull law. Its beds have been discussed in the foregoing. Above Deep Creek and Days Point, on both sides of the river, the cull law is suspended so far as young oysters are concerned, and, while shells must be returned to the beds, there is no limit on the minimum size of oysters which may be taken, the whole area being set apart for the production of seed for replanting. 68 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. It is necessary, therefore, in the discussion of the productiveness of this part of the James River oyster grounds, to adopt a different standard of productiveness. The whole oyster product of whatever size is involved in the question of the present value of the beds, whereas in the areas previously discussed the market oysters only could be considered, and the quantity of young was of interest merely as indicating the probability of the beds being maintained or repleted. In the discussion which follows here the maximum potential yield is considered as the production in excess of that which will give the tonger 4 bushels of oysters per day of tonging, not taking into con- sideration the time employed in culling out the shells and returning them to the beds. This part of Ground No. 1 includes all oyster rocks on the left bank of the James River, from the mouth of Warwick River to the upper limit of oyster growth, near Deepwater Shoals Light-House. The following is a summary of the extent of the several rocks and the barren bottoms embraced within the Baylor lines: Areas of Oyster Growth, Public Ground No. 1 Warwick County, Above Deep Creek. Name of rock. Dense. Scatter- ing. Very scat- tering. Depleted. Total. Acres. 227 586 12G 254 146 422 197 331 240 37 33 17 Acres. 198 18 155 34 322 10 6 192 Acres. 14 9 239 20 235 84 73 139 21 Acres. 508 21 142 115 29 387 79 73 16 241 Acres. 947 586 174 790 261 505 1,141 504 V Rock 386 43 380 279 Total oyster area 2, 616 935 834 1,611 5,996 6, 896. 8 12, 892. 8 It will be noticed at once that the proportion of barren bottom to that actually included in the rocks as determined by the survey is somewhat smaller than in the grounds previously discussed, consti- tuting about 53 per cent of the total. The depleted bottom, which, with practically no exceptions, is at present and potentially valueless, covers an additional 12 or 13 per cent, so that, assuming all the rest to be at present productive or capable of becoming so in the future, the oyster bottom covers about 35 per cent of the whole. The following table exhibits the estimated total content of the sev- eral rocks and their subdivisions at the opening of the oyster season on September 15, 1909: OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 69 Total Content of Oysters, Public Ground No. 1 Warwick County, Above Deep Creek. Name of rock. Dense. Scatter- Very seat- ing., tering. Depleted. Total. Jail Island Wreck Shoal Dry Shoals Point of Shoals Swash Mulberry Swash.. Marshy Island Long Shoal V Rock Moores Horsehead Deepwater Shoals . Bushels. 32, 461 185, 176 30,766 50, 800 42, 778 127, 444 45, 507 79, 771 54, 480 9,805 7,359 2,193 Bushels. 21, 582 Total 668, 540 Bushels. 392 Bushels. 4,064 2,232 14, 415 765 10,038 3,604 41,538 640 2,600 19, 975 5,040 6,132 1.008 19,968 420 2,130 1,725 1,247 6,966 1,264 1,095 15, 568 1,097 Bushels. 58, 499 185, 176 34, 183 77, 383 44,503 134, 895 113, 98G 86,715 61, 707 10, 813 42, 895 6,182 61, 607 856, 937 It will be seen that the great preponderance of oyster production is on the dense areas, which exceed the bottoms of other character not only in their average productiveness but in their total area. The bottoms with a scattering growth, which in extent exceed the next lower grade by about 12 per cent, excel them in their total content by about 70 per cent, and are considerably more important in total production than the combined areas of very scattering oysters and depletion. Summarizing, the dense areas bear 78 per cent of the total content of the rocks, the scattering areas about 12 per cent, the very scattering about 7 per cent, and the depleted bottom about 3 per cent. Basing the computation on the basis previously defined and the data presented in the preceding two tables, we find the esti- mated maximum available product of the several rocks and their subdivisions to be as follows: Available Content op Oysters, Public Ground No. 1 Warwick County, Above Deep Creek. Name of rock. Scatter- ing. Very scat- tering. Total. Jail Island Wreck Shoal.... Dry Shoals Point of Shoals . . Swash Mulberry Swash. Marshy Island . . . Long Shoal , VRock Moores Horsehead Deepwater Shoal Total Bushels. 25,000 160, 000 26,000 42,000 3S.000 116,000 35, COO 68,000 44,000 7,500 6,000 1,C00 Bushels. 12, 000 Bushels. 100 1,300 S,500 1,000 1.800 25,000 300 11,000 1,000 7,500 1,500 2,500 500 7,000 400 Bushels. 37, 100 160, 000 27,300 51,500 38,000 118,800 G7, 500 69, 800 46, 500 8,000 24,000 2,000 569, 100 59, 900 21,500 650, 500 70 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER/ VIRGINIA. The foregoing may be assumed to be the maximum quantity of seed oysters that can be profitably taken from the beds during the present season and the actual yield will probably fall considerably below the total exhibited in the table. Of the total, the areas of dense growth are capable of producing 88 per cent, of scattering growth 9 per cent, and of very scattering growth 3 per cent. The estimated yield per acre of bottom included within the boundary lines of this part of the bed is about 50 bushels. This low average of production is of course induced by the large area of barren and depleted or prac- tically barren bottom included in the Baylor lines. If we compare the average of the whole area with that of the best bottom in the natural rocks under discussion the paucity of the former is equally impressive, the dense areas of the region under discussion having an average total content of about 256 bushels per acre and a promised yield during the present season of 213 bushels, over four times the average of the beds as a whole. The average available product of the areas of scattering growth is about 64 bushels per acre, and of very scattering growth about 13 bushels, both yields being far below what they should produce under proper conditions. Upon the dense areas as a whole the present production and the promise for the future are both good, and on the area of scattering growth, while the present production is fair, the quantity of shells is such as to promise a better yield in the future, should there come a season of heavy and general strike. On the bottoms rated as bearing a very scattering growth the con- ditions as a whole are not such as to yield much profit to the tonger, though in some places he could make a living wage for a short period. In most places on bottom of this character the quantity of clean shells is such as to give indifferent prospect of the future regeneration of the beds. The depleted bottom, excepting in a few places near Deepwater Shoals Light-House, bears shells in such small quantities as to make exceedingly remote the probability of any material improvement under natural conditions. PUBLIC GROUND NO. 1 ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY. This ground extends as a narrow strip along the right bank of James River from close to the shore line out to the main channel, between Rock "Wharf and Days Point Shoal. It lies wholly within the area set apart for seed production, and the statements in regard to the methods employed in computing the productiveness of the several parts of the preceding ground are applicable to this as well. Compared with the extensive areas occupied by the rocks across the river in Warwick County, the beds included in this ground are OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 71 insignificant. For the purposes of this report it is considered to include four natural rocks, although the largest of these, for which no name was obtained from the oystermen, may be locally recog- nized by names for its constituents severally. The general condi- tion and extent of the bed are shown in the following table: Areas of Oyster Growth, Public Ground No. 1 Isle op Wight County. Name of oyster rock. Dense. Scatter- ing. Very scat- tering. Depleted. Total. Acres. 18 45 14 4 Acres. Acres. 5 3 Acres. 8' 37 2 Acres. 26 87 19 4 81 8 47 136 589 725 The area of barren bottom as compared with the extent of the ground is relatively large, constituting about 81 per cent, and the depleted bottom, which is at present worthless and holds forth no promise of improvement, adds an additional 7 per cent to the wholly unproductive bottom. The area of dense growth, which is undoubt- edly productive, covers about 11 per cent of the whole, while the bottom bearing very scattered oysters, which is at present prac- tically incapable of yielding a living wage to the tonger, covers about 1 per cent. The following table shows the estimated total content of oysters on the rocks at the end of August, 1909: Total Content of Oysters, Public Ground No. 1 Isle of Wight County. Name of rock. Dense. Scatter- ing. Very scat- tering. Depleted. Total. Bushels. 2,520 6,300 1,960 664 Bushels. Bushels. Bushels. 88 666 24 Bushels. 2,608 230 81 7,196 Spindle 2,065 664 Total 11,444 311 778 12,533 The total content of the ground as a whole averages about 17 bushels per acre. Practically all of this is borne by the small frac- tion of the bottom classed as dense, on which the average produc- tion is at the rate of about 141 bushels per acre, considerably less than on the areas of dense growth on the great beds across the channel. 72 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. The estimated available content on these beds — that is, the quan- tity which may be removed before tonging will cease to pay even a very small assumed minimum livelihood — is as follows: Available Content of Oysters, Public Ground No. 1 Isle of Wight County. Name of rock. Rock Wharf Shoals Between Rock Wharf Shoals and Spindle Rock Spindle Days Point Total Dense. Bushels. 2,000 5,000 1,500 500 Scatter- ing. Bushels. ,000 Very scat- tering. Bushels. 70 Total. Bushels. 2,000 5.050 1,520 500 9,070 Practically all of the available supply of oysters on this ground is therefore on the bottom classed as dense and the area of very scattering growth is. negligible. The available product is of the average density of 111 bushels per acre. On the dense area the shells are sufficient, on the very scattering area they are in fair quan- tity, while on the depleted ground they are deficient. SUMMARY. The public grounds in the region covered by the survey and of which a detailed discussion is found in the preceding pages cover an area of 26,408.4 acres as computed in the report of the Baylor survey. Of this acreage, 12,790.6 acres lie below the line drawn between Deep Creek and Days Point and 13,617.8 acres lie above that line. The beds of the former region are available for the production of marketable oysters only, the law requiring that all oysters under 3 inches long be returned to the beds, while the latter region is set apart for the production of seed oysters, and the cull law is not appli- cable except in so far as it forbids the removal of shells. Of the entire area the recent survey shows that 3,227 acres may be classed as bearing a dense growth, 2,078 as scattering, 1,848 as very scattering, 3,884 as depleted, and 15,371.4 as barren. The barren and depleted bottoms together comprise 19,255.4 acres, or about 73 per cent of the total, and all bottom which can be construed as pro- ductive aggregates 7,153 acres, or 27 per cent of the entire bottom included within the Baylor lines. Owing to the difference in the pro- visions of the law applicable to the two regions and the resultant difference in the character of their product, it is necessary to present separate summaries of their present condition. MARKET OYSTER AREA. The beds of this region are shown on chart 1 accompanying this report, to which, and to the preceding pages, readers are referred OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 73 for detailed data. The following table summarizes the extent and character of the bottom included within the Baylor lines: Summarized Statement op Market Oyster Areas on Public Grounds. Name of ground. Scatter- ing. Very scat- tering. Depleted Barren. Total. Nansemond No. 2 Isle of Wight No. 6 Nansemond No. 3 Isle of Wight No. 2 Isle of Wight No. 3 Isle of Wight No. 4 Isle of Wight No. 5 Warwick No. 1 and No. 2 (below Deep Creek) Total. Per cent... Acres. > 256 2(?) Acres. 646 4 A cres. 514 3 Acres. 1,640 Acres. 4, 106. i 33. ( 16.1 468 297 726 5.7 947 7.4 1,006 7.9 2 538 5. 3,723. 2,226 17.4 S85.6 61.6 Acres. 7,162.8 55.9 49.8 7.1 5,515.0 12,790.6 100.0 It is estimated that the bottoms embraced by the several grounds, classified in accordance with their relative productiveness, have a total content of market oysters as follows: Summarized Content of Market Oysters on Public Grounds. Name of ground. Dense. Scatter- ing. Very scat- tering. Depleted Total. Bushels. J28, 468 Bushels. 39,087 Bushels. 17, 855 Bushels. 21,052 330 132 Bushels. Isle of Wight No. 6 106, 462 330 Isle of Wight No. 2 200 132 69 533 Isle of Wight No. 3 Isle of Wight No. 4 Isle of Wight No. 5 22 5,847 22 Warwick No. 1 and No. 2 (below Deep Creek) 57,355 20,306 21,780 105,288 86, 023 118 40.3 59, 525 63 28.0 39, 704 39 18.7 27,383 12 13.0 212, 635 100 This table is more or less misleading, as the real factor involved is the quantity of oysters which can be profitably removed from the beds. It must be obvious that the total quantity lying on the bottom can not be regarded as commercially available, for when the density of growth is reduced below a more or less definite minimum the value of the average catch will fall below a minimum living wage and work will cease. The minimum average quantity per unit of bottom which will suffice to support commercial operations will depend upon the price of oysters and the depth of water. In this report the price is placed at 45 cents per bushel, and although it will vary somewhat on the different beds and at different times, it is not practicable to make distinctions. The price adopted is based on the testimony of a num- ber of oystermen as to their returns in recent years. The depth of water is a highly variable factor, and as it is of prime importance in 74 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. computing the availability of the oysters lying on the bottom, its variations have been given the fullest possible consideration. For a discussion of the general principles on which the quantity of oysters available with profit have been determined, the reader is referred to preceding pages. For the market oyster beds as a whole the following table gives a summary: Summary of Available Content of Market Oysters on Public Grounds. Name of ground. Dense. Scatter- ing. Very scat- tering. Total. Bushels. | 21,150 Bushels. 20, 325 Bushels. 1,600 Bushels. Isle of Wight No. 6 '. 43,075 Isle of Wight No. 2 150 50 200 Isle of Wight No. 3 Isle of Wight No. 4. . . Isle of Wight No. 5. 41,300 10, 100 3,550 54, 950 62, 600 86 63.7 30, 475 32 31.0 5,150 5 5.3 98, 225 100.0 This may be regarded as a maximum estimate of the probable yield of the beds during the season of 1909-10. Owing to the low basis adopted as a minimum wage the yield may not reach the quan- tity indicated, as it is doubtful whether the beds can be profitably fished as closely as has been assumed. A yield of $1.35 per full day of tonging will leave a very small balance after culling and other expenses are deducted, and the beds undoubtedly will be abandoned for the season before this degree of depletion has been reached. " For this reason the only parts of the natural rock which can be classed as really productive are those designated as dense and scattering, which furnish, according to the foregoing estimates, about 95 per cent of the available product while constituting only about 13 per cent of the total area of the public grounds under consideration. Taken as a whole, though there are exceptions noted in the pre- ceding accounts of the individual rocks, the areas covered with very scattering growths are of but little present value, their total esti- mated available product during the present season being valued at less than $2,500, or about $2.50 per acre. There is, however, another phase to the question which has been touched on in the more de- tailed accounts of the individual rocks. This is the possibility of future improvement, and is dependent upon the existing quantity of young oysters and the presence of an ample supply of clean shells to serve as places of attachment for future generations of young. The quantity of young oysters less than 3 inches long on the public grounds under discussion at the opening of the present oyster season was as follows: OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. Summarized Content op Young Oysters on Public Grounds. 75 Name of ground. Dense. Scatter- ing. Very scat- tering. Depleted. Total. Bushels. } 31,818 Bushels. 86, 050 Bushels. 26, 854 Bushels. 57, 038 50 2,500 Bushels. Isle of Wight No. 6 201, 760 50 Isle of Wight No. 2 ' 250 500 3,250 Isle of Wight No. 3 Isle of Wight No. 4 Isle of Wight No. 5 Isle of Wight No. 6... Warwick No. 1 and No. 2 (below Deep Creek) 121, 774 53, 287 58, 353 19, 002 252, 416 Total 153, 842 212 33.7 139, 837 148 30.6 85, 207 84 18.6 78, 590 35 17.1 457, 476 100.0 Here again is evidence that the areas of dense and scattering growth should be regarded as not only at present but prospectively productive beds. In quantity, and to a greater extent numerically, the young are considerably in excess of the market oysters, and, as in both classes of bottom under consideration the latter are sufficient to render the bottom undoubtedly at present productive, the abun- dance of young is sufficient to continue productiveness, under proper regulations as to culling, for at least two years. After the lapse of that period the condition will depend upon the extent of the strike, and other factors concerning which nothing can be predicted. So far as the areas covered with a very scattering growth are concerned closer scrutiny is required. As these bottoms are on the verge of depletion in respect to market oysters, the proportion of young to large oysters should be greater to insure that the conditions will improve in the future. The writer is not in possession of definite experimental data appli- cable specifically to the James River, but from a knowledge of con- ditions in other parts of the Chesapeake region he feels justified in assuming that oysters as an average will become fit for market in from two to three years from the time of fixation or setting. If experience elsewhere be a guide, some oysters will grow more rapidly and some less rapidly; but two years may be adopted, with very little question, as an irreducible minimum for the average age at which they can be advantageously put on the market. On this assumption and neglecting, for the time being, the question of mor- tality, it is at once apparent that to maintain the present status there must be two small oysters for each market oyster killed or caught. There is no way to determine, without long and painstaking obser- vations, the actual average mortality at various ages on the natural rocks of James River. The experience of planters of seed oysters is valueless in this connection, being based on oysters handled and 76 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. otherwise subjected to abnormal conditions. The various locations of the natural-bed oysters and the consequently variable conditions to which they are exposed introduce a factor for which it is difficult to make allowances, and it seems impossible to do more than hazard a guess as to the proportion of young oysters now on the beds which will die before becoming marketable. It is probable that it will be somewhere between 25 and 50 per cent. Considering the size of young oysters found by the survey, the mortality may be less than the former and excepting under unfavorable conditions can hardly be greater than the latter. Assuming that 25 per cent of the young now on the beds will die before reaching a marketable size, there should be on the beds, in order to maintain their present condition, 2.66 young for each marketable oyster removed. If the loss be assumed at 50 per cent there should be 4 young per market oyster. The following table exhibits the actual average numerical propor- tion of young oysters to marketable found on the several beds: Numerical Proportion op Young Growth and Market Oysters in the Market- Oyster Area on Bottoms Bearing Very Scattering Growth. Name of rock. Oysters less than 1 inch long. Oysters between land 3 inches. Total. 0.42 .62 .50 .55 .69 1.81 .55 .27 1.11 .06 3.50 .66 .80 .19 .63 .21 .35 .87 1.82 3.29 5.27 3.83 2.58 2.47 6.81 1.13 1.94 .00 11.40 8.00 4.00 4.28 8.27 4.06 4.56 5.36 2.24 3.91 5.77 4.38 3.27 High Shoal 4.28 Trout Shoal 7.36 Dos Shoal 1.40 3.05 .06 14.90 8.66 4.80 Gun 4.47 8.90 4.27 Blunt Poin t 4.91 White Shoal 6.23 .76 4.39 5.15 It will be observed that, on the assumption of the smaller death rate, Nansemond Ridge, Dog Shoal, and the small beds near Ballards Marsh are the only rocks which appear to lack sufficient young growth on the very scattering areas to maintain them in their present condition. Assuming the higher rate of mortality, Drum Shoal, the small bed near Flat Rock, and Fishing Point Rocks must be added to the list, though when we consider that many of the market oysters now on the bottom can not be taken with profit, it would appear that even these rocks are capable of improving under a rigid observ- ance of the cull law. The other rocks, under either assumption as to mortality, probably bear a sufficient number of young to OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 77 maintain their present condition or to cause slight improvement in their productiveness, and the real question at issue largely resolves itself into a matter of their present productiveness, which has been already discussed. Most of these bottoms are sufficiently clothed with shells to insure their share of a good strike. The depleted areas, excepting in the places specifically mentioned in the descriptions of the individual rocks, may be regarded as hopeless of recuperation under natural conditions. The barren bottoms, which preceding tables show to constitute a very large proportion of the areas of the public beds, are in many cases so situated as to be of necessity and for practical considerations impossible of separation from the natural beds without injury to the future of the latter or without due regard to the question of policing and administration. There are, however, certain large areas readily separable from the public grounds, and the latter would suffer prac- tically no diminution in really productive bottom as a result of the severance. SEED-OYSTER AREA. This region lies above the line drawn between Deep Creek and Days Point, and is shown on chart 2 accompanying this report. The following table summarizes the extent and condition of the bottoms of different degrees of productiveness included within this part of the Baylor survey: Summarized Statement of Oyster Growth on Seed Areas. Name of ground. Dense. Scatter- ing. Very scat- tering. Depleted, Barren. Total. Warwick No. 1 (above Deep Creek) Isle of Wight No. 1 Total Per cent A cres. 2,420 81 Acres. 1,131 Acres. 834 Acres. 1,611 47 Acres. 6,896.8 5S9.0 2,501 18.4 1,131 8.3 842 6.2 1, 658 12.2 7,485.8 54.9 Acres. 12,892.8 725. 13, 617. 8 100.0 The following table furnishes an estimate of the total content of seed oysters present on the bottoms of varying productiveness at the beginning of the oyster season on September 15, 1909: Summarized Content op Oysters on Seed Areas. Name of ground. Dense. Scatter- ing. Very scat- tering. Depleted, Total. Warwick No. 1 (above Deep Creek) Isle of Wight No. 1 Total Average per acre Per cent Bushels. 668, 540 11,444 Bushels. 104.987 Bushels. 61, 607 311 Bushels. 21,803 778 Bushels. 856,937 12,533 679, 984 272 78.2 104,987 93 12.1 61,918 73 7.1 22,581 13 2.6 869,470 78 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. A considerable proportion of these oysters could not be profitably removed from the beds, being either too sparsely distributed in the first place or constituting a necessary remnant which would become too scattered after tonging had been carried on for a period on bot- toms of greater initial productiveness. To show the estimated maximum possible yield of the beds during the present season the following table has been prepared, covering the entire area of seed beds in the James River: Summary op Available Content of Oysters on Seed Areas. Name of ground. Dense. Scatter- ing. Very scat- tering. Total. Warwick No. 1 (above Deep Creek) Isle of Wight No. 1 Total Average per acre Per cent Bushels. 569, 100 9,000 Bushels. 59,900 Bushels. 21,500 70 Bushels. 050, 500 9,070 578, 100 232 87.7 59,900 53 9.1 21,570 25 3.2 059, 570 '"ioo.6 In preparing the data on which this table is based it has been as- sumed that the seed will bring 30 cents per bushel and that no bottom can be considered productive when its yield is reduced below 4 bushels per day of actual tonging, excluding the time occupied in culling. As in the preceding pages of this report, the probable yield is based on the density of the oyster growth and the depth of water on the several parts of each bed. Although the data employed differs somewhat from that used in the discussion of the bottoms below Deep Creek, owing to the lower price brought by seed as compared with market oysters, the financial return to the tonger from the bottoms designated as respectively dense, scattering, and very scattering is essentially the same. The minimum yield assumed to place a given area above the grade of depleted bottom is valued at $1.20 per day at. the prices recently pre- vailing, and this can not be regarded as other than an extreme mini- mum, because, when the number of idle days is taken into considera- tion, a tonger could not afford to work for such low wages. The limit is justifiable only in consideration of the fact that before the dense and scattering areas are reduced to a level so low they will have yielded to the tonger an average daily wage much in excess of this. If the price of oysters falls below 30 cents per bushel, it will not be profitable to work the beds so closely as was contemplated in the preparation of the above table. At the prices reported as current on the James River in November, 1909, namely, 20 cents per bushel for seed, the estimated catch on the area of very scattering growth may be eliminated, that on the scattering bottom reduced by at least 50 per cent and on the dense areas by about 15 per cent, lowering the OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 79 total estimated cateh to about 500,000 bushels as a maximum which could be taken with profit. As was the case with the market-oyster beds, the areas described as bearing dense and scattering growths may be dismissed from further discussion as being at present productive. The areas bearing a very scattering growth are debatable, with seed oysters selling at 30 cents per bushel, but would be undoubtedly entirely neglected by the tongers were the price to fall to 20 cents. Their estimated yield at the former price is about $7.50 per acre, and from the entire area of 842 acres the total product during the present season would not ex- ceed in value $6,500, even if the tongers were willing to work for an average of about $1 per day, exclusive of the time lost through bad weather. The future of these areas of very scattering growth is difficult to forecast. When, as in the area under discussion, there is not and from the nature of the case should not be any application of the cull law, there is no young growth which can be pointed to as coming forward to replace the larger oysters removed. Young and old alike are taken and the only oysters left are the residuum which it is unprofitable to take. In other words, the annual increment is taken or may be taken in the months immediately following its deposit. The health and perpetuity of the beds depend upon the quantity of clean shells exposed on the bottom ready for the strike which each season may produce. Over the very scattering bottoms of this part of James River there is a fair quantity of shells and under the proper conditions these areas may become more productive. The depleted bottoms, as a whole, have neither present nor pro- spective value under natural conditions, though the bottom is generally of such character that if it were feasible to rent it for purposes of oyster culture it could be made highly productive. Much of it is so situated, however, that it is debatable whether, for reasons of administration, it would be advisable to alienate it from the public grounds. An inspection of the charts will show that, excepting along the shores, these bottoms are generally in the midst of produc- tive areas. Concerning the great area of barren bottoms the same statement holds true in part, a considerable proportion of it lying in the channels and deeper holes between the beds or in other situa- tions which would make it difficult to delimit it from the public grounds in a manner to facilitate the policing of the public rocks; and prevent abuses which experience shows would undoubtedly be attempted. There are, however, certain areas in considerable blocks which could be set apart for purposes of oyster culture without materially reducing the area of the natural rocks included in the public grounds. These places can be determined by an inspection of the chart. 20201—10 6 80 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. CONCLUSION. The foregoing gives, in detail and summary, the facts as to the con- dition of the oyster beds of James and Nansemond rivers immedi- ately prior to the opening of the present oyster season, the period at which the beds are at their maximum apparent productiveness. Within a few weeks, under the intensive fishery which they sustain, the quantity of oysters on the beds will be vastly reduced and long before the close of the season they will become so impaired that work on them will be practically abandoned for the time being. In other words, it is for a part of the season only that these beds will offer a livelihood to the tongers, who for the rest of the year must seek a living either in the employ of the oyster grower or in some other occupation not connected with oyster fishing. In the determination of the nature of tidal bottoms, with respect to their being regarded as oyster rock or barren bottom, the prime consideration is whether they will afford, either at present or pro- spectively, a sufficient quantity of oysters to provide a livelihood to those who work on them. It is manifest that a few oysters which could never be taken with profit should not entitle the bottom on which they lie to be regarded as an oyster bed within the meaning of the laws. To so regard them would be contrary to common sense, economic principles, and judicial decisions. The author has avoided a definition of what constitutes a liveli- hood, believing that to be a matter which is more properly for deter- mination by the state authorities should its definition become necessary for purposes of legislation or administration. In the preparation of the foregoing report, however, it has been necessary to adopt some standard for the classification of the various densities of oyster growth in the several beds, and for purposes of convenience the limit between the bottoms regarded as depleted and those of the lowest class of productiveness has been placed at a minimum believed to be reasonably irreducible. The subdivisions of productiveness differ by such small quantities that should it appear that the lowest is too low the next higher can be regarded as the minimum without impairing the value of the data adduced in the report, though, as is elsewhere indicated, this would dictate a reduction in the estimated total available product of oysters for the season. Under the terms of the resolution of the State Board of Fisheries, which was made the basis of the request for the survey preferred to the Bureau of Fisheries by the Governor of Virginia, the author is not warranted in offering recommendations as to the use which might be made of the facts developed in the preceding pages. It may not be inappropriate, however, to point out the several avenues of procedure which it is possible to follow in respect to the oyster OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 81 bottoms of the region discussed. These resolve themselves into three: (1) The maintenance of the integrity of the public grounds as now constituted; (2) their abolition in toto; and (3) a middle course which will preserve to the public the productive bottoms practically in their entirety while throwing open to oyster planting a large part of the barren and unproductive bottom now included within the public grounds. The principal arguments for and against these propositions may be epitomized as follows: 1 . The first course — that the beds be retained in the present status— hardly needs discussion. It has been tried and its results are known, largely as the effect of the acrimonious disputes to which it has given rise. The matters of fact which have been at issue in these inter- minable discussions, as to whether or not the public grounds embraced any considerable area of barren bottom, have been dealt with in the preceding pages and speak for themselves. It should be pointed out, however, that while the barren area is shown to constitute a considerable proportion of the whole bottom, much of it is so related to the productive bottom that it could not be eliminated under any scheme permitting of practical administration. 2. The second alternative — the total abolition of the public grounds and its corollary, the opening of the whole area for leasing — is drastic. On broad economic grounds the proposition is as logical and legiti- mate as the sale of public timber land or the breaking up of the great public ranges of the West into holdings in severalty, and, as the oyster is sessile, it has nothing in common with an alienation of the common fishery for nomadic species. The law has already recognized that under conditions an oyster in situ may be property, while a wandering fish can not become such until caught. The breaking up of the public grounds into leaseholds under private control would increase their productiveness precisely as the breaking up of the common ranges of the West has resulted in economic effi- ciency and greater productiveness. This course would, furthermore, yield a return to the State, where there is now a net outlay for policing the public grounds, though this aspect of the -matter is one which should always be held subservient to the major consideration — the welfare and prosperity of the citizen. On the other side of the question it is necessary to consider the effect of so drastic an innovation upon the welfare of a large body of persons -whose livelihood in part is at present dependent upon the situation to which the policy of the State has given the aspect of presumed permanency. Immediately upon the alienation of the public beds the men engaged on them for part of the season are, for the time being, forced from the category of independent workers into that of employees, unless they themselves elect to take up 82 OYSTER BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. bottoms in severalty. The value of this objection is mainly senti- mental, but is not less real on that account. 3. The third course mentioned, the retention of the actually pro- ductive bottom for the use of the public and the opening of all barren bottom practicable for leasehold from the State, is essentially a compromise between the other two and presents fewer difficulties than either. The valid objections to it are mainly concerned with administration. By retaining the present natural beds intact the tongers would be left in possession of everything of value to which they now have access, while the opening of the barren bottoms for lease would make productive considerable acres now valueless to all. The tongers would still have the option of independent work on the natural rocks; they would have increased opportunities of employ- ment by the planters; and some of them could themselves lease bottoms for their own use. In every way it would appear to be economically advantageous to the industry and the State. In considering the subject, however, it should be borne in mind that, while this report shows a preponderance of barren bottom within the public grounds, much of it, owing to its location, is prac- tically incapable of separation from the natural rocks. An inspec- tion of the chart will show that many of the barren bottoms are between or in the midst of naturally productive bottoms. To exclude them would make necessary an undue multiplication of the public grounds, with an attendant difficulty in policing. Effectually to prevent depredations on the natural rocks under the guise of work on adjoining planted grounds, which is a diffi- culty with which the oyster police will have to contend, the public areas should be as few and as compact as possible, and the boundary lines should be straight and easily denned. For this reason the public grounds to be established must, for very practical considera- tions, necessarily include a considerable proportion of barren bottom. Any readjustment of the lines of the Baylor survey should be based on reasonable compromise and adopted only after careful considera- tion by the State. It is believed that the foregoing descriptions and the accompanying charts will furnish a reliable basis for a revision, should the State deem it wise to undertake it. OYSTEE BEDS OF JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 83 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. o LBJM2 Chart I, I Chart 2,