6 CRAB INDUSTRY OF CHESAPEAKE BAY. 
floats used was about the same as that in vogue at present. Attempts 
were made to confine immature hard crabs in pounds of various sorts 
until they became peelers and then to allow them to shed. This 
method was found to be impracticable, as it was necessary to handle 
the crabs too often.? 
The use of the trot-line, principally in taking hard crabs, has been 
racticed since the inception of the industry. The dredge began to 
e employed in taking hard crabs at some time between 1900 and 
1905. 
Since its inception in the early seventies until 1901, the expansion 
of the crab industry in size and importance proceeded steadily. 
During the seven-year period from 1901 to 1908, the volume of the 
industry more than doubled, the catch increasing from 21,530,076 
pounds of crabs in 1901, to 45,456,000 in 1908. No further figures 
relative to the size of the catch are available until 1915 is reached. 
In that year, at the close of this seven-year period, the catch amounted 
to 50,343,268 pounds, an increase of only about 5,000,000 pounds in 
comparison with an increase of about 24,000,000 pounds between 
1901 and 1908. These facts and other data relative to the develop- 
ment of the crab industry are presented in concise form in the follow- 
ing table: 
CoMPARATIVE STATISTICS OF THE CRAB PRODUCT OF MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA FOR 
Various YEARS FROM 1880 To 1915. 
Maryland. 
Years. 
. Crabs, hard. ' Crabs, soft. Total. 
Pounds. Value. Pounds. Value. Pounds. Value. 
1880 1, 166, 667 6, 850 c (¢ 1, 166, 667 $46, 850 
; (c) ) 
36,969 | 1,636,530 | $133,788 | 4,394,168 | 170,757 
37,438 | 2,208,829 | 161,331 | 4,883,504] 198, 769 
31,723 | 4,056,110 | 228,690 | 6,444,209] 260, 413 
37,460 | 4,828,872 | 266,256 | 7,605,770] 303,716 
39,949 | 4,115,879 | 177.637| 9,449,195] 217,586 
1OOTy 2 ee AN SOAS. BA SEAS eee 9, 824, 793 85,884 | 4,303,582 | 202,563 | 14, 128,375 288, 447 
1904.3 - ope eas Shes betes eee 12, 665,282 | 168,996 | 5,732,865 | 189,851 | 18,398, 147 358, 847 
GUS ae cade tare sysaie coe Seco eres 12,786,000 | 124,000} 7,587,000 | 195,000 | 20,373, 000 319, 000 
ISIE. Re. LST OBS 22,491,675 | 335,375 | 7,602,207 | 329,276 | 30,093,882 | 664, 651 
Virginia. 
Years. a a eS on See Grand total. 
Crabs, hard. Crabs, soft. Total. 
Pounds. Value. Pounds. Value. Pounds. Value. Pounds. | Value. 
18800 2. cee 2,139,200 | $32, 088 c (c) 2, 139, 200 2,088 | 3,305, 867 | $78, 938 
Leste... | eee 626, 820 15, 479 (c) (c 626, 820 15,479 | 5,020, 988 | 186, 236 
Sha tee 956, 843 24, 669 (c) (¢ 956, 24,669 | 5,840,347 | 223, 438 
TROY ot kene oe ee 2, 584, 794 28, 210 440,310 | $26,054 | 3,025, 104 54, 264 | 9,469, 313 | 314, 677 
1s oie Ss 2, 208, 071 32, 683 585, 95 29,379 | 2,794, 027 62, 062 | 10,399, 797 | 365, 778 
1807. eecoo Mees 5,331,398 | 28,331] 1,068,116] 39,914] 6,399,514] 68,245 | 15,848, 709 | 285, 83 
160i Se ees 6, 113, 277 52, 863 » 288, 424 65,972 | 7,401,701 | 118,835 | 21,530, 076 | 407, 282 
1904b a feces! Ee 10,356,052 | 179,575 | 1,910, 654 92,909 | 12, 266, 706 , 484 | 30, 664, 853 | 631,331 
WGN Rid 6 se es 23.001,000 | 239,000] 2,082, 000 87,000 | 25,083,000 | 326,000 | 45, 456,000 | 645, 000 
AVISLLES ED 18,765,148 | 242,754 | 1,484,238] 74,402 | 20,249,386 | 317,156 | 50,343, 268 | 981, 807 
a The facts cited concerning the early history of the soft-crab industry were obtained from ‘‘The Crab 
Industry of Maryland,’ W. A. Roberts, Report of the Bureau of Fisheries, 1904, PP. 423 and 424, 
b From Annual Report of the Commissioner of Fisheries for Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1916, p. 64. 
ce Statistics not available. 
d The statistics for 1908 are from data published by the Bureau of the Census. 
