THE OYSTER INDUSTRY OF NEW JERSEY. 471 



oysterraen term "handling." The dead oysters and shells are removed 

 and the clusters separated. After remaining on hard bottom one 

 season they are taken up for market. It is estimated that not more 

 than one-fourth of the entire quantity of seed used are native oysters. 

 The remaining- three fourths are from the Chesapeake Bay region, from 

 points in Maryland and Virginia. Large quantities of them come from 

 Hampton Bar and the Eappahanuock and James rivers, the Choptank 

 Eiver, Tangier Sound, etc. They are designated by the general term 

 "Virginias." A i)art of these oysters is the product of the natural 

 beds of the Chesapeake, but large quantities come from cultivated 

 beds where they have grown to maturity. They vary in price from 20 

 cents to 60 cents per bushel, according to size and quality. In addi- 

 tion to the cost of the oysters, the planter is also at an expense of about 

 $300 per each vessel load, of i^erhaps 2,500 bushels, for transportation, 

 and about $48 for unloading them from the vessel and planting them 

 on the beds. The transporting vessels are sent south for oysters early 

 in March, and the planting is completed in April. The large "Vir- 

 ginias" are planted directly on hard bottom, whence they are taken up 

 for market the same season without being shifted. 



Natural enemies of the oyster. — The only important natural enemies 

 to the oysters in recent years have been drills, winkles, and occasion- 

 ally crabs, but the loss from these causes has not been great. Fifteen 

 or twenty years ago considerable trouble was experienced from the 

 depredations of fish. The drumfish was the most troublesome species. 

 It is said that they became so abundant at times as to destroy whole 

 beds of oysters. Means were resorted to for frightening them away. 

 One method was to anchor buoys over the beds and attach to them a 

 line with a shingle at the end of it and a weight, either a brick or 

 stone, to carry it to the bottom. The shingle swayed to and fro with 

 the motion of the water, and served to scare the drumfish away. This 

 was called " shingling " the-beds. But for the past few years no serious 

 destruction by drumfish has occurred. 



Persons, compensation, und lay. — The number of persons engaged in 

 the oyster-planting industry at Keyport, exclusive of crews on vessels, 

 is 112. There are 23 proprietors or oyster-planters and 89 men who 

 are employed by them at daily wages. Of the 23 planters, 11 are occu- 

 pied largely with work on shore pertaining to the business, and may 

 be classed as shoresmen, and the rema,ining 12 engage in the practical 

 labor of tonging oysters. The men are all American citizens, 92 white 

 and 20 colored. The colored men come chiefly from Virginia. 



The rate of wages paid by the planters is $2 per day to each man, 

 whether engaged in tonging oysters on the beds or " drinking" them 

 in the creek (for the same men do both), or any other work necessary 

 in preparing the products for market. The planters furnish skiffs, 

 tongs, and all apparatus. When employed planting southern oysters 

 (" Virginias ") it is customary to pay each man $3 per day, and usually 



