462 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



of oysters less than 3 inches in length went into effect and prevented 

 the planters from securing their usual seed supply from that source. 

 This very much hampered the planters, and many of them, in 1901, 

 planted only a fraction of the usual quantity of seed. The result of 

 this scarcity of seed does not appear in the present statistics, as the 

 small oysters require several years to attain their full growth. Most 

 of the seed planted now comes from the Raritan River, Staten Island 

 Sound, Newark Bay, and Connecticut. During the season of 1901 seed 

 oysters were unusually plentiful on the natural beds off' Keansburg, 

 Monmouth County. During the past two 3"ears drum-fish have done 

 considerable damage to the planted beds. In 1902 dynamite was used 

 to destroy them in Tuckerton Bay. 



Clams. — During 1901 hard clams were fairly abundant in the waters 

 of this State, but in the summer of 1902 they became ver}^ scarce and 

 the price rose unusually high. Owing to the heavy cost of running 

 the large clam vessels of Monmouth County many of the clammers 

 tied up their vessels and went clamming in small boats, which could 

 be run much more cheaply. Except in Monmouth County the soft- 

 clam business is insignificant; here it is centered largely around High- 

 lands, where a number of wholesale dealers buy from the clammers 

 and ship either in the shell or opened. At Ocean Cit}^, in Cape Ma}- 

 Countj^ surf clams are gathered along the sea beach, for bait in the 

 line fisheries. None is used for food. 



Mussels. — During 1901 mussels were very scarce, there having been 

 no set in most of the counties during the last four or five j^ears. In 

 Monmouth County in 1902 several medium-sized beds were worked. 

 In Burlington and Atlantic counties mussels are used for fertilizer; in 

 Cape May and Monmouth counties they are used principally for food. 



Terrapin. — On March 25, 1898, a law was passed by the legislature 

 forbidding the taking of terrapin for three years from the date of the 

 passage of the act, and providing that fishing could be carried on 

 thereafter from November 1 to April 1. The industr}^ was resumed 

 in 1901, and the catch amounted to 8,232 pounds, valued at $3,135. 

 During 1897, the last year before the law went into effect, 13,528 

 pounds, valued at $6,096, were secured. But few persons resumed 

 the business in 1901, which probably accounts for the small quantit}^ 

 taken after three years' complete protection. The fishermen classify 

 the terrapin secured as follows: ''Cow,"" those 6 or more inches long 

 on the under shell; ''one-half count," those under inches and not 

 less than 4 inches in length on the under shell; "bulls," all under 1 

 inches long. Under the present law terrapin under 4 inches in length 

 must be returned to the water. The animal is usually secured by 

 means of a short stick with a hook fastened to the end. AVith this the 

 fisherman pokes around under the overhanging banks and in likely 

 holes, and hooks the animal out far enough to get hold of it with his 

 hands. 



