FISHERIES OF THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC STATES, 491 



increasing. It is not unlikel}^ that in the near future there will be a 

 demand for crabs during the winter as well as in the summer. 



Practically the entire catch of soft crabs is taken in scrapes and scoop 

 nets, though a few are caught in small seines of from 40 to 50 j^ards in 

 length, which are handled b}^ two men. The seines are used inter- 

 changeably with scoop nets, the latter being used on low tides and the 

 former on high tides or when the water is too thick to see the crabs. 



With the exception of a few hard crabs taken in scrapes with soft 

 crabs and in dredges during the oyster season, the catch is taken on 

 trot lines. These lines vary in length from 200 to 1,000 3^ards, and 

 are baited principally with beef tripe and eels. As the transportation 

 companies object to handling tripe, it is being superseded by eels. 



Though the crab industry is of greatest importance on the eastern 

 shore of the State, quite a number are caught on the western shore, 

 and in 1902 increased catches were taken in Anne Arundel County and 

 in the vicinity of Solomons Island, Calvert County. The preceding 

 cold winter seemingly did not affect the supply in these counties, and 

 with the decreased catch on the eastern shore and advanced prices 

 many residents of the western shore were encouraged to engage in the 

 fishery. 



Shad. — This is the most important species of fish taken in the waters 

 of the State and, together with alewives, is the incentive for a great 

 many men to engage in fishing. This is especially applicable to the 

 gill-net fishermen, who set their nets as soon as the run of shad begins 

 in the spring and fish until the close of the season, when the nets are 

 laid aside and other occupations are followed until the next spring. 

 Although the investment is small, the shad fishery sometimes proves 

 quite remunerative to a large number of men. With the exception of 

 Betterton and vicinit}', where the catch of shad in gill nets was excep- 

 tionally heavy, this species shows a falling off of nearly 50 per cent in 

 1901 compared with 1897.' It is probable, however, that the decline 

 is onl}^ temporary, and is attributed by many fishermen to the late and 

 cold spring, the low temperature of the water in the rivers tending to 

 prevent the shad entering for the purpose of spawning. While the 

 catch was small, the fishermen were compensated to a large degree by 

 advanced prices. Shad are taken principally in gill nets, pound nets, 

 seines, and bow nets, five-sixths of the total 3neld of the State being 

 from the gill-net and pound- net fisheries. 



Alewives. — Alewives are next in importance to shad and are taken 

 during the same season. Practically the entire catch is secured in 

 pound nets and seines, though in some localities many are also caught 

 in gill nets. Like the shad, and for similar reasons, they show a 

 decrease in 1901 as compared with 1897. 



Menhaden. — The increase in this species over 1897 is due to the fact 

 that during that year the factory at Crisfield purchased its supply 



