138 THE FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



It is a common thing for the first of October's results to show 100 or 150 bushels of seed to the man, on the 

 most favorable ground. If the owners keep all this seed for their own use, two days will generally load their 

 vessel and send them to their planting beds, after which they may return or may go elsewhere. If they prefer to 

 sell it to the larger planters, who are all ready to buy, they were paid, this year and last, 10 cents per bushel. 

 The second day yields more jjoorly, and at the end of a week 12 or 15 bushels to the man is considered a good days' 

 work. To compensate for scarcity, 15 cents is paid by buyers. This seed consists almost wholly of the growth of 

 the year, or at least of the previous year, and cannot be separated from the shells to which it is attached. The 

 careless culling which is done, therefore, gives little back. On the ujiper part of the river-grounds, however, the 

 spawn grows upon the gravel of the bottom, and there are few shells. There are also brought up a few marketable 

 oysters, that have escaped heretofore until they have attained a considerable size. Though very finely flavored, 

 these large natural oysters are not of good appearance, and bring only 60 to 80 cents a bushel in market. 



Statistics of Barnegat, Tuckerton, etc. — Oysters in these waters grow only moderately fast, and must 

 lie three or four years before being taken to market. From Tuckerton large quantities are sold to Atlantic City 

 men, who fatten them on the sand-bars and sell them the same season. The best of all the oysters at present are 

 said to come from in front of Horse point, Manahawken, bringing considerably more money than the others. They 

 are planted more thinly there than in Tuckerton bay, which is said to make the profitable difference. Prices in 

 1879-'80 were $3 for large and $2 for small sizes, per 1,000, for Tuckerton jilants, while Manah aw ken's stock brought 

 a large advance upon this. 



This year (1880) has proved very good for this district, both in abundance of seed and in the quality of tGe 

 planted stock which is now (October, 1880) being sent to market. The summer of 1879 was a poor one for growth 

 and prices, and much of the seed died, so that the croj) which was gathered in 1879-80, and reported upon for my 

 use, is not considered as high as before, or probably up to this year's product. The statistics are as follows: 



Oysters raised for marlcct, 1879-'80. 



Bnshels. 



In Barnegat 3,000 



lu Manaliawken • .5,000 



In West Creek 30,000 



111 Tuckerton 30,000 



In Bass River 10,000 



In Port Republic ^ 10,000 



Total 88,000 



Families supported. 



In Tuckerton 200 to 250 



In West Creek and Manaliawken 175 to 200 



In Bass River 50 to 75 



In Port Republic 50 to 75 



Total 475 to GOO 



Ntimber of sail-vessels, about 500; value of same, about $125,000. 

 Number of small boats, about 750; value of same, $7,500 to $10,000. 



The list of vessels reported by Mr. George W. Mathis, collector at Tuckerton, New Jersey, as registered in this 

 district and employed in the oyster- or clam-fisherj^, reads as follows : 



Naino. Tons. Name. Tons. Name. Tons. 



S.arei)ta 5.02 Louis D. Seuat 9.04 Henrietta J 7.35 



Hero 5.17 I Wonder 9.66 Mary Grey 15.96 



William H. Mills 11.83 Liilie Jones 12.37 Rboda aud Jane 6.57 



Golden Feather 6.91 General J. L. Selfridge 21.36 Alice Ridgway 5.49 



H-lO-W-8 5.04 Sunbeam 22.16 Dart '. 5.11 



Maggie Boll 12.83 Four BiotUcis 11.34 Kate Becker 17.3 



Laura V. Stiles 5.78 John A. Parks 10.73 



Absecon and VICINITY. — Eccd's bay. Little bay, Absecon bay, and the other thoroughfares through the salt 

 marshes behind Brigantine beach, afford good opportunities for growing oysters, and have long been utilized. In 

 the neighborhood of the town of Absecon there are said to be one hundred men, i)art fartners, part fishermen, who 

 regularly plant oysters and supply the marlcet. Only a very few of these, however, devote their main time to it. 

 It was to meet the case of these inclosed and almost dooryard waters, that section 14 of the revised statute 

 relating to oysters was made, which enacts that persons owning flats or coves along the shores of the tide-waters 

 between Great Egg Harbor and Little Egg Harbor, Atlantic county, inclusive of the shores of the ri^^ers that lie 

 within that county, may mark out ground by stalces of a prescribed size and number, for the planting of oysters 

 or clams, but no stakes can be set beyond ordinary low-water mark. Section KJ also applies to Burlington county, 

 but seems to add nothing to section 14. These planters get their seed (small) by going after it in their own sloops to 

 Barnegat bay, the Gravellings, or Egg Harbor. It is put down in shallow water, on a soft bottom, and allowed three 



