126 COMMISSIONERS OF IXLAXD FISHERIES. 



shorter time there is less chance for death from cannibalism, parasites, 

 and injury. 



13. COST OF A REARING PLANT. 



The estimated cost of the simplest possible plant, consisting of 

 24 rearing boxes, capable of turning out 600,000 lobsterlings, is 

 follows: 



3. H. P. Engine $180 



Scow 200 



4 floats 300 



Gearing 700 



Rearing boxes 320 



Miscellaneous fixtures 100 



Total $1,800 



In some localities this might vary from the above more or less, 

 according to the advantage for securing the material. 



The running expenses of such a plant in a favorable locality would 

 not be far from $3 per thousand lobsterlings reared; this includes 

 gasoline, food for the fry, and labor; but does not include the cost of 

 egg lobsters. The cost of operation in 1910, at Wickford, was less 

 than $2 per thousand. 



14. RESULTS OBTAINED. 



A number of good results have been obtained at Wickford by the 

 use of the method described above. Among these may be mentioned : 



From a counted lot of 10,000 fry less than one da}" old, 6,946 

 fourth stage lobsters were reared. Very often a percentage as high 

 as forty or forty-eight per cent, has been obtained. In nature prob- 

 ably not more than one in a thousand reaches this stage. 



From the eggs of one egg lobster 7,465 fourth stage lobsters were 

 reared. This corresponds closely to 40 per cent, of the number of 

 the eggs. 



