REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 63 
Crabs are canned only during the summer months, and the crabs 
used for this purpose are consequently taken by trot lines. - The line 
fishing begins as soon as the water becomes warm enough to cause the 
crabs to move from the mud in which they have been bedded for the 
winter for protection from the cold, usually some time in April or 
early May, and continues through the summer until the cold forces 
the crabs to again seek the mud bottom. In some sections, however, 
the line fishing slackens during the extremely hot summer months, 
this being especially true of those places where the shipping facilities 
are not favorable. The dredging season usually opens some time 
during November, usually about the middle of the month, as soon 
as the crabs have bedded, and extends throughout the winter until 
the water warms sufficiently to start the crabs from their winter beds. 
Dredging is mostly done in the lower part of the bay, and sometimes 
outside the capes when the sea is not too rough. The entire winter 
catch is picked and sold as fresh meat. Crab meat weighs 5 pounds 
to the gallon, and an average of 7 crabs will yield 1 pound of meat. 
A table showing the details of the industry in Maryland and Vir- 
inia follows. There are given also comparative statistics of the catch 
or a number of years, beginning with 1880. The output in 1915 
was the largest for any year for which data are available, and the 
value then was 50 per cent more than in 1908, the last previous year 
for which the Bureau had collected complete returns. ‘The informa- 
tion at hand, however, points to a catch in 1915 much short of that 
a few years before, and the climax of the fishery seems to have been 
reached about 1912. 
Cras INDUSTRY OF MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA, 1915. 
Items. Maryland. Virginia. Total 
Persons engaged: Number. Value. | Number. Value Number. Value 
On vessels fishing. ................ Soult... TRONS So oie p77 Py eee 
On vessels transporting........... LS |Legal kai le CW (alate, Eo 
In shore or boat fisheries. ......... Al05S Wetec. Sh HA O22 ee 29.4 ES Ur (y| eee Gee} te 
Sheresmenyee). 5.1.4 .232. 000... 29 3, cleawoss. 4 ee 21 lees 4,.085.| 2... 54540 
Motalanes 7s Ne oO 2) Ae WV olantees- 2-423 OK Soil ics en ares 105290.) 3 2 Sa 
$5, 450 56 | $139, 100 72 | $144,550 
maecectain E10) (ol aa DOU eee one 
AM2DOA sarc sceeaiceres | aro Dagens 4 4, 200 
Be aes Sa ln slo E Ss Staeteenen me oes 26) oer 
181,475 283 61, 160 1,587 242, 625 
119, 245 1, 693 28, 774 4,746 148,019 
nip Sere XS 182 4,511 182 4,511. 
183 18 54 99 237 
AO sGEs ae 30 720 30 720 
7,452 250 710 2, 734 8, 162 
874 641 317 2,411 1,191 
8, 741 1,189 7,449 2, 664 16, 190 
MM dd. 2 Ae Gd. Wee cee 29 111 
157,896, S002 Tae 1b sl ee 282, 251 
ALObaMee eee 22, BRN. SW Ue PE Re 485 627 (8b 5 2S AGE SOT LOU sacs e eevee 852,777 
Products: : 
Vessel fisheries— r 
With dredges—Hard ,crabs, 
POUTICS ce ete meee Sakae WRN s, SDA! SEIS Ped ee 3,596,400 | 81,246 | 3,596,400 81, 246 
With scrapes— 
Hard crabs. 236-2 24e- pounds. . 26, 962 577 11, 804 265 38, 766 842 
Softiersibs..). 2 1 4 do... 85, 772 3,875 52,332 2,355 138, 104 6, 230 
UDA. otc. sino ae eeaee neon 112, 734 | 4,452 | 3,660,536 83,866 | 3,773,270 88,318 
