508 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OP PISH AND FISHERIES. 



Table shotvhig hy vioniht< the viivibcr of sacks and barrels of oysters shipped from Bivalve, 

 IN^ew Jersey, in 1SS9-JS93, via the Central liailroad of New Jersey. 



Mdiitlis. 



January . . . 

 February . . 



March 



April 



May 



Juno 



July 



August.... 

 Septeuibor. 



October 



November . 

 December.. 



Total 



1889 .■ 



Sacks. Barrels, 



2,194 

 1,168 

 1, 72G 

 1,726 

 5,407 

 3,071 

 73 



25, 730 

 32, 598 

 27, 766 

 17, 322 



118, 781 



1,594 



1,151 



1,040 



403 



689 



261 



6 



3,513 

 5,821 

 6,415 

 5,351 



26,244 



Sacks. Barrels, 



7,917 



3, 424 



2,782 



2,708 



7,201 



3,113 



464 



347 



32, 761 



40, 274 



36, 599 



16, 856 



154,506 38,166 



3,468 



2, 149 



2,187 



1,088 



994 



278 



2 



23 



4,576 



7,942 



8,346 



7,113 



1891. 



Sacks. Barrel: 



5,032 



4,441 



5.428 



3, 8r)6 



9, 0S7 



5, 039 



519 



401 



20, 572 



32.447 



32,816 



18, 735 



138, 433 



3,954 



2,837 



2,051 



1,048 



548 



189 



18 



8 



3,918 



8,722 



5,751 



5,526 



35, 170 



1892. 



Sacks. Barrels, 



6,255 



5,602 



3, 936 



5, 8,")9 



8,871 



2, 696 



1,239 



1,358 



30, 675 



38, 261 



31, 154 



21, 062 



156, 971 



2,889 



2, 643 



1,741 



1, 233 



677 



211 



79 



47 



3,728 



5,521 



5,978 



5,905 



1893. 



Sacks. Barrels. 



1,065 



1,425 



5,919 



8,359 



10,216 



4,257 



142 



203 



25. 329 



30, 428 



25,611 



10, 356 



30, 652 123, 370 



460 



741 



2.705 



2,007 



872 



2.')4 



3 



7 



3,553 



4,984 



4,008 



2, 097 



22, 291 



Table showing hy months the number of sacks and barrels of oysters shipped from Green- 

 wich Pier, New Jersey, in 1S89-1S9S, via the Central Railroad of Neiv Jersey. 



While the shipment of oysters continues throughout the entire year, 

 except July and Aujjust, the quantities are less in May and June and 

 during- the extreme cold weather in the winter, and greatest in Septem- 

 ber, October, and November. If the winter chances to be severely 

 cold, as it was in 1892-93, so that the river is frozen over, the business 

 of harvesting the oyster crop is, to some extent, interfered with and 

 ojjerations temporarily suspended. The vessels then lay anchored in 

 the stream to await more favorable conditions. There is also a lull in 

 the shipping business during the month of March, when the vessels 

 undergo such repairs as may be necessary, and are fitted preparatory 

 to entering uiion the work of the seed-gathering season on the natural 

 beds, which begins on the ]st day of April. At such times of the 

 year the greater part of the fleet is moored in the river. The vessels 

 lie in rows close beside each other on both sides of the stream, leaving 

 only a narrow passage open along the main channel, so that a person 

 niiglit walk a long di.st;ince a;'ross their decks by stei)i>ing from one to 

 another. The sails are furled, topsails clewed at the topmast head, and 

 the scene presented is that of a veritable forest of spars. But as spring 

 draws near, each day brings increasing signs of activity and fewer 



