FISHERIES OF THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC STATES. 



515 



Table showing, by counties^ the extent of the crab fishery of Maryland in 1901 — Continued. 



a Exclusive of duplication. 



6The.se lines are used primarily for hard crabs, the soft or shedding crabs being taken with the 

 hard .crabs as " doublers." 



c Includes 95,000 hard crabs, valued at 1235, taken in crab scrapes, and 67,000 hard crabs, valued at 

 $500, taken while dredging for oystere. 



THE WHOLESALE FISHERY TRADE. 



In the quantit}^ of o^^sters handled Baltimore ranks first not only 

 in the State, but in the entire country. Thi.s i.s largel}" due to its 

 accessibility from the oyster grounds and its transportation facilities. 

 So important is the shucking and packing trade of Baltimore that 

 during the 03^ster season the leading railroads send out daily trains, 

 several cars in length, loaded entirely with shucked ox^sters, which are 

 widel}' distributed throughout the Western States. Many dealers, 

 however, are finding it cheaper to have their oysters shucked in small 

 towns contiguous to the oyster-grounds and shipped to Baltimore by 

 steamer. This is also the ca.se with tirms engaged in the crab-meat 

 industry. While Baltimore handles the larger portion of the State's 

 oyster catch, owing- to direct connection of towns on the eastern shore 



