6 CRAB INDUSTRY OF CHESAPEAKE BAY. 
floats used was about the same as that in vogue at present. Attempts 
were made to confine immature hard crabs in pounds of various sorts 
until they became peelers and then to allow them to shed. This 
method was found to be impracticable, as it was necessary to handle 
the crabs too often.? 
The use of the trot-line, principally in taking hard crabs, has been 
pe since the inception of the industry. The dredge began to 
e employed in taking hard crabs at some time between 1900 and 
1905. 
Since its inception in the early seventies until 1901, the expansion 
of the crab industry in size and importance proceeded steadily. 
During the seven-year period from 1901 to 1908, the volume of the 
industry more than doubled, the catch increasing from 21,530,076 
pounds of crabs in 1901, to 45,456,000 in 1908. No further figures 
relative to the size of the catch are available until 1915 is reached. 
In that year, at the close of this seven-year period, the catch amounted 
to 50,343,268 pounds, an increase of only about 5,000,000 pounds in 
comparison with an increase of about 24,000,000 pounds between 
1901 and 1908. These facts and other data relative to the develop- 
ment of the crab industry are presented in concise form in the follow- 
ing table: 
CoMPARATIVE STATISTICS OF THE CRAB PRODUCT OF MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA FOR 
Various YEARS FROM 1880 To 1915. 










Maryland. 
Years. 
Crabs, hard. Crabs, soft. Total. 
Pounds Value. | Pounds. | Value. | Pounds. | Value. 
ISRDEEY - dias Sao eee © Saceage ns 1,166,667 | $46, 850 (c) (c) 1, 166, 667 $46, 850 
ASS ioe Seen ooo sae See oat eee 2, 757, 638 36, 969 1, 636, 530 | $133,788 | 4,394,168 170, 757 
PSRRe So. eyes seas Cree re See siete 2, 674, 675 37,4388 | 2,208, 829 161, 331 4, 883, 504 198, 769 
TRS 2 ne RS oc Nee er eemees  gtien a 2,388, 099 31, 723 4,056,110.} 228,690 | 6,444, 209 260, 413 
PSOM Se st Pee 88s See eS. SA 2,776, 898 37,460 | 4,828,872 | 266,256 | 7,605,770 303, 716 
DROS Ss hs ogo els cele aus Boe 5 5, 333, 316 39,949 | 4,115, 879 177.637 | 9,449,195 217, 586 
TNE Ei a St oy gem epey ae eae , 824, 793 85,884 | 4,303,582 | 202,563 | 14, 128,375 288, 447 
NGQ42 gee. Fey Pha Shee ees 12, 665, 282 168,996 | 5,732, 865 189, 851 | 18,398, 147 358, 847 
LOO Ga 5 aN se cics Seo ee ose 12, 786, 000 124, 000 7, 587, 000 195,000 | 20,373, 000 319, 000 
Tits ee ee SE EES: 28 22, 491, 675 335,375 | 7,602,207 | 329,276 | 30,093, 882 664, 651 
Virginia. 
Years. Grand total. 
Crabs, hard. Crabs, soft. Total. 
Pounds Value. Pounds. Value. Pounds. Value Pounds. | Value. 
WSSOoS - oo se due 2 2, 139, 200 $32, 088 (c) (c 2, 139, 200 $32, 088 3, 305, 867 | $78,938 
TRS esses ace 626, 820 15, 479 ( 4 (¢ 626, 820 15, 479 5, 020, 988 | 186, 236 
1888:b 3.222.438 956, 843 24, 669 (¢ (c 956, 843 24,669 | 5,840, 347 5 
SS ee ee! 2, 584, 794 28, 210 440, 310 $26, 054 3, 025, 104 54, 264 9, 469, 313 | 314, 677 
WEOTS Ae BAS. oe 2, 208, 071 32, 683 585, 95 29,379 | 2,794, 027 62, 062 | 10,399, 797 | 365, 778 
TROT 2 4 os Beuaia 5, 331, 398 28, 331 1, 068, 116 39,914 | 6,399, 514 68, 245 | 15, 848, 709 | 285, 831 
1d) 0p et ete al 6, 113, 277 52, 863 1, 288, 424 65,972 | 7,401, 701 118, 835 | 21, 530, 076 | 407, 282 
LONE eee 8. 10, 356, 052 179, 575 1, 910, 654 92,909 | 12,266,706 | 272,484 | 30, 664, 853 | 631,331 
Ct 23,001,000 | 239,000 | 2,082, 000 87,000 | 25, 083, 000 ¢ 45, 456, 000 | 645, 000 
TL te eons Oa 18,765,148 | 242,754 | 1,484,238] 74,402 | 20,249,386 | 317,156 | 50,343, 268 | 981, 807 


a The facts cited concerning the early history of the soft-crab industry were obtained from “The Crab 
Industry of Maryland,” W. A. Roberts, Report of the Bureau of Fisheries, 1904, 
b From Annual Report of the Commissioner of Fisheries for Fiscal Year Ende 
¢ Statistics not available. 
@ The statistics for 1908 are from data published by the Bureau of the Census. 
p. 423 and 424. 
June 30, 1916, p. 64. 
