304 REPORT OP COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



been put in the cars while the seine was being" emptied, aue tliiown 

 away, and the "bulls" arc placed to one side. The remaining; lish are 

 then weighed and turned over to the inarketman at prices varying 

 from 3 to 5 cents i)er pound, according to the locality and the season. 

 For the "bulls "the marketmen generally give from L'O to 35 cents 

 each, without regard to the weight. 



All the fish are sent from the market-houses while fresh. In prepar- 

 ing for shipment, they are either dressed or left "round," to suit the 

 demands of the customer. They are packed in boxes and barrels, and 

 usually with two layers offish and one layer of ice alternating, the fish 

 being placed backs to backs and bellies to the ice. The prices received 

 by the marketmen for the fish range from 5.J to 8 cents per pound, 

 round weight. They are shipped mostly by express, and are marketed 

 throughout Texas, iNIexico, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, etc;. 



Nearly all the marketing is done on a ('. o. D. basis, but few oi>en 

 accounts being kejtt. For expressage the transportation companies 

 charge a fixed rate on the net weight of the fish, and add 25 per cent 

 to that amount for the weight of the box and ice. They also re-ice the 

 fish en route, when necessary, without extra charge. 



Oysters are marketed in much the same manner and by the same 

 houses that handle the fish taken by the bay seines. They are sold by 

 the fishermen direct to the wholesale dealers. The price received for 

 the oysters varies, according to the locality, from 50 cents to $1.25 per 

 barrel, which is the unit of measure. There is no very active competi- 

 tion in the business, and but little variation exists in prices through- 

 out the season. Those sold at 50 cents per barrel are not closely 

 culled. At Galveston, Corpus Christi, and Point Isabel the highest 

 prices rule, Avhilc the lowest prices i)rev;iil in Matagorda I>ny. On the 

 reefs in the last-named bay as fine culled oysters as were to be found 

 on the Gulf coast were sold in the season of 1890-91 at 60 cents per 

 bai-rel; 00 cents is about the average price received by the fishermen 

 throughout the State. In 1890-91 this average price was somewhat 

 less on account of a large quantity of small and unculled oysters being 

 sold for planting on the preempted grounds around Galveston. 



On account of the cost of transportation but few oysters are shipped 

 from the coast in the shell, and prior to 1891 nothing had been done in 

 the way of canning steamed oysters. The shucking is done by men 

 and boys, who receive 25 cents i)er gallon, or in som«^ places $1.25 per 

 1,000, and at other marketing centers they are paid for the time em- 

 l>loyed. Some of the shuc^kers come every season from the Atlantic 

 coast to engage in this work. The shucked oysters are shipped in i)ails 

 holding from 1 to 10 gallons, and in hermetically sealed tin cans con- 

 taiiiing from 25 to 200 in number. They are sent to all i)arts of the 

 country west of the Mississippi River, Kansas, Coh)rado, and "Sexas 

 receiving the larger i)art. The trade is rapidly increasitig, and the 

 Texas oyst('rs^ilre successfully competing in tliose States Avith the i)ro- 

 duct from the Atlantic coast. 



