THE OYSTER-INDUSTRY. 143 



Many of these vessels are old and of less value than they once were. They are all of remarkably pretty 

 model, however, and completeness of equipment. Experts assured me, that for those over ten tons (of which there 

 are 81) an average value of 8G00 would be a fair estimate. This would yield $48,000. Probably the sum of $30,000 

 would cover the remainder. The discrepancy of 38 between this list and that of the oyster-association in the 

 Delaware, described on a subsequent page, is due to the fact that many of the association vessels are registered 

 elsewhere. Of boats less than five tons, and unregistered, there are probably 100 used in the district for oystering 

 and clamming, and their value would add perhaps $20,000 to the figures above, making a total of nearly 8100,000 

 invested in floating property by the Cape May and Delaware oystermen. 



Middle a:^d vicinity. — Next below the district represented by Mr. Watkins' statements, foregoing, comes 

 the township named "Middle", where I happily supplemented my own observations by the intelligent statistics of 

 Mr. Edward Hand. This district includes a great extent of sounds and thoroughfares upon its seaward shore, and 

 there are also opportunities for oyster-growing along the western coast. The general characteristics of ground and 

 methods of planting do not differ from those above. In this district there are enumerated about 83 planters, three- 

 fourths of whom may be said to support their families in this way. This is more completely true than in Dennis 

 township, because the business here is more extensive, takes more time, and yields larger results. 



The Bay shore is occupied by 14 planters, all of whom use exclusively southern oysters. They are brought as 

 " seed " (small) almost entirely from Hog island, and (of somewhat better quality) from Chiucoteague. These men 

 own ten sloops, of from 30 to CO tons burden each, which are used wholly in bringing oysters by the outside passage 

 from the South, not only for their own use, but also to supjjly the men on the eastern shore and below them, and 

 also to carry to Cape May or Philadelphia their own harvest, since the ocean-side meu ship their crop by rail. 



On the seashore nine-tenths of all the oysters raised are of small southern seed, the rest being plants secured 

 in the marshes about home (only about 4,000 bushels of this will be saved a year all the way from Townsend's inlet 

 to Cape May) and in Great Egg Harbor. It will be seen by this, that the planters of this district have a different 

 idea of the profits in southern stock from those of Dennis. This arises from the fact, that they find their chief 

 market in supplying the summer hotels and population of Cape May, and can sell an oyster of inferior quality to 

 those raised in Dennis, all of which go to Philadelphia for "prime" trade. The argument of the "Middle" men 

 is this : Last year (1879) we could buy Chesapeake seed at 18 cents, which became fit for market in two years. 

 For northern seed, at the same time, we had to pay 42 cents first cost and freight, and had to wait three years for it 

 to grow, all the time at the risk of destruction by ice. The selling-price of the two will not differ at the end in 

 favor of the northern stock more than $1 25 a barrel. A glance shows how much more profit lies in the southern 

 stock. One planter, a year ago, bought tolerably large southern seed at 38 cents a bushel. They are doing well, 

 and he expects that eighteen months after putting them down he will sell them for $4 50 per barrel. Granting that 

 he takes up as many bushels as he put down (highly probable), he will make $1 42 per bushel profit. 



Of the planters in this township — 



S6 sell a present average of 1,000 bushels a year 26, 000 



67 sell a present average of 250 bushels a year - 16,750 



Total annual crop 42,750 



The planters get $1 per bushel at the shore for their oysters this season, many selling on contracts previously 

 made with shippers to take their whole crop. A. few send to market themselves. About one-fourth or one-third of 

 this crop goes to Cape May ; the rest (chiefly from Delaware shore) is sent to Philadelphia. 



.Statistical recapitulation for I^Tew Jersey (ocean shore): 



Number of planters and shippers .- - - 855 



Extent of ground cultivated acres.. 1,300 



Value of shore-iiroperty - - - §"5, 000 



Number of vessels and sail-boats engaged -. G75 



Value of same, including small bo.ats, etc - - $270,000 



Number of men hired by planters and dealers 150 



Annual earnings of same .- -- --• S60, 000 



Total number of families supported 900 



Annual sales of — 



I. Native oysters bushels.. 250,000 



Value of "same 8250,000 



n. Chesapeake "plants" bushels.. 77,500 



Value of same SCO, 000 



Total value of oysters sold annually §310, 000 



