CRAB INDUSTRY OF CHESAPEAKE BAY. 25 
a sugar barrel about 165. Crabs are cheaper during the summer 
months because of their greater abundance, the greater num- 
ber of crabbers, the slackenmg of the demand for the meat, and 
the fact that the trot-line men operate at a much lower expense 
than do the dredgers. During the hot weather the fresh meat spoils 
more readily and is not handled by as many customers as during the 
winter. The heaviest demand for fresh meat is at about the winter 
holidays. The demand for the canned meat is not subject to this 
peril of decay and is sold wholesale to jobbers at fixed prices through- 
out the year. 
The prices received for the three grades of iced meat vary, then, 
with the seasons, being lowest in the summer and highest in the 
winter. A fair average for the year is lump meat $2 per gallon, 
white $1, and claw 65 cents. During the winter lump meat sells as 
high as $4 a gallon. 
Scrap is sold to the fertilizer factories at $1 per ton at Hampton. 
At Crisfield it is sold at 3 cents per barrow load, this being a unit 
rather too elastic to suit the seller in many cases. 
Pickers receive from 3 to 4 cents per pound. Experienced workers 
often make as high as $12 to $15 per week, which involves picking 
out 60 to 70 pounds of meat a day. 
Laborers about the plants receive from $8 to $12 per week. Hands 
on the dredge boats receive $7 to $12 per week. Boys are employed 
to clean shells at 10 cents per 100 shells. 
