THE OYSTER INDUSTRY OF NEW JERSEY, 



507 



The oysters are removed from tlie floats by iiien whose especial (luty 

 it is to prepare them for shipment. These are termed "scowmen,"or 

 "scow o-aiio-s." The scowmeu count out the oysters into baskets and 

 put them in sacks and barrels. The baskets liold 200 "cullens" or 100 

 "primes," or, approximately, one-half bushel. It is generally consid- 

 ered that 400 "cul]ens"or 200 "primes" make one bushel. A sack 

 will usually hold from 000 to 700 "primes," or about twice that number 

 of "culleiis." Tlie barrels are said to hold about the same number as 

 the sacks. . Wlien this work is done the oysters are handed over to the 

 sliippers, who purchase them from the oystermen or catchers. The 

 shippers furnish the sacks and barrels, and the owners of the oysters 

 pay the scowmen for their work at a rate per thousand for the number 

 of oysters handled. The prices which the oystermen receive from the 

 shippers have gradually increased during- the past few years. In 1888 

 the i)rice per 1,000 oysters was $5 for "primes" and $2 for "culleus." 

 In 1892 it was from $0.50 to $7 for "primes" and $2.50 for "cullcns. 

 They are all sold by the thousand. About one-third of the entire 

 quantity in number are "primes" and two-thirds are "cullens," which 

 would make an equal number of bushels of each grade. The catch of 

 almost the entire fleet of vessels is landed at Bivalve and Maurice 

 Eiver for shipment by rail. At the two places combined there were, in 

 1892, 36 firms, large and small, engaged in the shipping business. A 

 few^ of the vessels carry their oysters to Philadelphia, or elsewhere, to 

 market. The following table illustrates the extent of the oyster trade 

 in the years 1889, 1890, 1891, and 1892: 



Wholesale oyster trade of Maurice Iiivcr Core, Xew Jersey. 



Number of firms 



Persona engaged: 



Proprietors 



Employes 



Wages ])ai"d 



Value of property 



Casb capital 



Oysters handled: 



Primes ii miiber 



Cost 



Collens II 11111 bcr 



Cost 



Total oysters number 



(lost 



Seliinir price 



23 



34 



91 

 $26, 942 

 $28, 825 

 $178, 500 



64, 718, 804 

 $340. 353 



158, 2i)K, 228 

 $327, 556 



223. 017.o:(2 

 $6ti7, 909 

 $760, 030 



38 



104 



$30, 375 



$31, 990 



$191,. 500 



71, 850, 388 

 $402. 2.58 



169, 140, 007 

 $38.^, :ni 



240, 901,2!<5 

 $788, 129 

 $840, 228 



$32, 57.3 

 $37, 095 

 $211,500 



70. 025. 373 

 $418, 724 



182,817.770 

 $453,718 



252, 843. 143 

 $872, 442 

 $962, 929 



."il 

 125 



$35, 080 

 $41. 159 

 $232, 500 



77,744,362 



$4C0, 786 



192,171,762 



$480, 342 



269,916,124 



$947, 128 



$1, 050, 830 



The shipments of oysters from r>i\ alvc in the years 1889-1893 are 

 shown by months in the folloMnng table. For these vahiable and accu- 

 rate data the Commission is indebted to Mr. W. E. Minor, auditor of 

 freight trallic of the Central Railroad Company of Xew Jersey. The 

 same gentkunan has also furnished the a<'com]>anying statement of 

 oyster shipments from (ireenwich Pier, in Cnmlx'rhmd County, wliicli 

 come largely from groundsill Delaware Bay belonging to the State of 

 Delaware. 



