32 THE FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



balcony 6 feet square. Here two men stand to receive the loaded tubs of oysters as fast as they are hoisted (by 

 horse-power) out of the vessel's hold. When a tub comes withiu reach they seize it, overtirrn it into a wheelbarrow, 

 made of one-third of a strong cask, mounted on a wheelbarrow-frame, and one man sends it down while the other 

 goes and empties the barrow, returning in time to help -when the tub comes up again. The ordinary method is for 

 two men to receive the tub upou the first floor, carry it away, lift it up, and overturu it u[tou the table, while two 

 others haud back an empty tub and repeat the operation. This requires four men and much lifting. The Newcombs, 

 however, dispense with two men and all the laborious lifting, by receiving their oysters on the upper floor and 

 dumping them from a wheelbarrow down shutes that lead to diffei-eut portions of the shucking-table, or to the 

 "cool room", where they can store 8,000 bushels at a time, if desired. 



Statistical kecapitulation foe Salem and vicinity: 



Number of wholesale-dealers 3 



Number of schooners engaged 2 



Value of same |10,000 



Number of men hired by dealers - 25 



Semi-annual earuings of same $3, 500 



Number of restaurant-servants - 20 



Annual earnings of same |12, 000 



Total number of families supported 25 



Annual sales of — 



IL Chesapeake "plants" bushels.. 40,000 



Southern, by steamer bushels.. 5,000 



Value of same $40,000 



III. Fancy stock bushels.. 500 



Value of same $750 



Total value of oysters sold annually $40,750 



11. THE OYSTEE-BUSmESS OF NEWBURYPORT. 



Southern oysters in Newbxjryport. — The wholesale oyster-business at this port is small. About 3,000 

 bushels of southern oysters are sufiflcient for the demand. These cost from 45 to 50 cents per bushel when put 

 down, and from an eighth to a quarter of them die during the summer. The bedding-grounds are in Parker river. 

 About three families get their support from the business here, but the business is losing ground and is encroached 

 upon by the opened stock from Norfolk. 



Oysters sold '. bushels.. 3,500 



Value $3,250 



Families supported 3 



12. THE OYSTER-BUSmESS OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE COAST. 



The bttsiness of Portsmouth and Dover. — In Portsmouth, New Hampshire, there are only two dealers 

 who trade in oysters by wholesale and at first hand. They each send a schooner to Virginia in April, the voyage 

 lasting about three weeks, and bring a load of 2,300 to 2,600 bushels each. Nearly the same course is pursued 

 here as in Boston. The captain is given suflicient money to probably fill his vessel, and told to do the best he 

 can with it ; but he is not given a rate of freight per bushel, as in Portland, but hired at a given sum, which, in 1878, 

 was $425. This amounts, however, to about the same thing as the 18 cents a bushel i)aid for freight to Portland 

 and Boston. All these 5,000 bushels of oysters are bedded down on the banks of the river iu Portsmouth harbor, a 

 mile or so below the city, where the ebb-tide leaves them nearly dry. They last through to the middle of October, 

 with the help of a few "laucy" oysters from New York for the retail -counter. The cost per bushel of these oysters, 

 as delivered iu the establishment, varies from 40 to 50 cents, and the average selling price, at wholesale, is 75 cents. 



In the winter no vessels come from Virginia, and all supplies are drawn from Norfolk by steamer to Boston, and 

 thence by rail, or, in emergency, by buyiug in Boston or Portland. These are almost wholly opened oysters, in 

 barrels and kegs. Not more ihan 1,000 bushels, all told, are supposed to come into Portsmouth during the winter, 

 in the shell. The-e cost 50 lo 60 cents. Of the others, I could get nothing better than estimates from each dealer, 

 which, added together, give about 45 barrels, or 1,350 gallons, as the combined importation. Perhaps 150 gallons 

 more come from Boston, in emergencies. The whole consumi^tion of Portsmouth, then, seems to cost about as 

 follows : 



Oysters in vessels. 5,000 bushels - $2,500 



Oysters in shell, otherwise - •'OO 



Oysters opened (about) ..^ , 750 



Oysters, fancy and extra (abiJut) 750 



^ 4,500 



