52 Report of the Board of Shell Fish Commissioners 



ping and operating those of greater tonnage. It follows, 

 therefore, that the captain of a small vessel can afford to 

 resort to an oyster ground for a much smaller quantity of 

 oysters than tb,e captain of a larger vessel. 



This would seem to make any standard for dredging or 

 scraping grounds which is based upon the quantity of oysters 

 necessary to be caught per day or per season by a boat of one 

 capacity, in order to make a livelihood for the owner, unfair 

 for boats of different capacities. Large boats, however, are 

 equipped with larger dredges- than small boats and are there- 

 fore able to cover much more ground per day than small boats, 

 and it was found by computation that the ratio between the 

 amount of ground covered and the cost of equipping and oper- 

 ating a boat remains fairly constant for boats of all sizes. 



The annual cost of equipping and operating a boat of 1,000 

 bushels (oysters) capacity was therefore taken as a basis for 

 determining a standard for dredging and scraping grounds. It 

 is as follows : 



For equipment for dredging $325.00 



For labor and subsistence, 4% months at $300.00 



per month 1,350.00 



For license, 20 tons at $3.00 per ton 60.00 



Total.. $1,735.00 



For living expenses for Captain and family, 135 

 days at $0.75 per day $101.25 



Minimum livelihood $1,836.25 



All oyster grounds, situated within areas designated for 

 dredging or scraping, in condition at the time surveyed to 

 yield or to give promise to yield a quantity of oysters which 

 will sell for the sum of $1,836.25 to boats of 1,000 bushels 

 capacity during a dredging or scraping season, or a quantity 

 per day in proportion, are considered by the Commission to be 

 natural oyster bars. 



