142 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



der, $90,087, is the value of tlie opened oysters, canned shrimp, and 

 other fish products handled at the canneries. 



The packing of shrimp at the canneries and oyster houses has greatly 

 increased during the past few years and is now an important i'eature 

 of the fishery trade. The shrimp are packed in tin cans, chiefly of the 

 1 and 2 pound sizes, and also in i^ackages holding 5, 10, and 20 pounds, 

 or 1, 2, and 4 gallons. The quantity of shrimp utilized for packing was 

 9,304 barrels, costing, as landed from the vessels and boats, $29,286, and 

 having a value when packed of $119,282. Besides this, 572 barrels were 

 sold in a raw or wliole condition, at a value of $2,842, the aggregate value 

 of the shrimp trade being $122,124. 



Hard crabs have also been prepared at the canneries in various years 

 since about 1882, but the industry has never been extensive, chiefly 

 on account of the limited demand for the goods. The meat of the crabs, 

 after being removed from the shell, is j)acked in 1 and 2 pound cans, 

 hermetically sealed, and processed in a manner simihir to other canned 

 products. The i)ack consisted of 10,560 1-pound and 2,100 2-pound 

 cans, having a value of $2,035. 



The canning industry is of great importance to the fishery interests 

 of this section, not only on account of the increased amount of capital 

 invested, the labor employed, and wages distributed, but it has been 

 largely instrumental in develoj)ing the oyster and shrimp fisheries by 

 afibrding a convenient and ready market for their products. It is not 

 probable that these fisheries would have ever reached their present 

 stage of development under the conditions prevailing before the estab- 

 lishment of the canneries, when New Orleans was the principal market 

 for the catch. 



Next in importance to the canning industry is the trade in opened 

 oysters. There were 16 packing houses, exclusive of the oyster can- 

 neries, engaged in this branch of business. Of these, 7 were located 

 at Biloxi, 4 at Ocean Springs, and 5 at Scranton. The number of per- 

 sons emjiloyed was 562, the value of shore property used was $35,950, 

 the amount of cash capital $40,300, and of wages jiaid $32,090. These 

 firms, as already indicated, were also engaged in packing shrimp, and 

 some of them in handling other fishery products. 



The oysters are divided into three principal grades, designated as 

 plants, selects, and reefers. After being opened they are counted and 

 packed with ice in wooden buckets for shipment, the covers of the 

 buckets being fastened on with wire nails. The capacity of the buckets 

 ranges from 3 to about 8 gallons, or from 500 to 1,000 oysters, the size 

 of the bucket required depending upon the number and grade of oysters 

 to be packed. They cost from 15 to 28 cents, or an average of about 25 

 cents each. The oysters are sold by count instead of gallon in nearly 

 all instances. This is an old custom among the oyster-packers of this 

 region, and is said to be due to the fact that the trade which they 

 supply demands solid measure, which renders it diflicult, if the oysters 



