(538 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 



not prove successful. The fishermen visited the bedding places of the crabs and took them from 

 the mud by means of oyster and clam tongs. 



It is estimated that about three-fourths of the crabs sent away from the Northern New Jersey 

 coast (Sandy Hook to Barnegat Inlet) go to New York City and other northern markets ; about 

 one-sixth to Philadelphia, and the remainder to interior cities and towns of New Jersey. The New 

 York markets are first supplied from New Jersey about the middle of June, after which time 

 until late in the fall, shipments are being constantly made. Hard crabs are sent in barrels 

 packed in seaweed. Soft crabs are packed more carefully with seaweed or salt grass in boxes 

 or crates, being stowed closely together to prevent injury. Shipments are made by rail, steamers, 

 and sailing vessels. 



Crabs serve as bait for nearly all kinds of salt-water fish taken with hook and line. Hard 

 crabs only are used. They are most extensively employed for blackfish or sea bass, and to a lesser 

 extent for many other species. 



The following notes on the crab fisheries of Northern New Jersey, furnished by Mr. Charles 

 Doughty, of Fairhaven, are so complete in themselves, that we copy them verbatim : 



" The fishing season begins about the middle of May, and lasts until the latter part of September. 

 During this period the men and boys in the vicinity of the river mouths and shallow bays provide 

 themselves with long-handled dip-nets and small boats. Each boat is manned by only a single 

 person, who stands in the bow and poles it with the handle of his net slowly along the shore in search 

 of crabs. The depth of water usually resorted to varies from a few inches to 5 or 6 feet. The 

 experienced fisherman can tell whether.the crabs he meets with are suited to his purpose or not 

 by their color. A soft-shell crab is much brighter than a hard shell, and those nearly ready to 

 shed have the claws more highly colored, some parts being of a reddish and others of a bluish 

 tint. When he is in doubt as to the condition of a crab which he supposes is about to shed, he 

 breaks off a point of shell or a joint of one of the smaller legs, and if a new shell is forming under- 

 neath, the crab is reserved, otherwise it is thrown back into the water. It is considered that 

 about half an hour is required for casting the shell, after the crab is ready to shed, and the crab 

 increases about one-third in size at each molting. The new shell begins to harden in about six 

 hours after shedding, and is supposed to become fully hardened in about thirty-six hours. No 

 hardening appears to take place out of water. After the fishing is over, the crabbers return to 

 the shore where their cars are moored. These are usually 4 to 8 feet long, and about 1 foot deep, 

 with a cover, and are divided in the middle by a partition. They are made of laths or thin boards, 

 and are moored in some sheltered cove a short distance from the shore. The crabs are separated 

 into two lots, the " bustets " and soft crabs going into one compartment, and the " comers " into 

 the other. The cars are examined two or three times a day, and the soft crabs taken out and 

 packed for shipment. The boxes used are about 3 feet long by 2 feet broad and 3 inches deep, 

 and hold from 4 to 6 dozens each ; they are made of thin pine or laths. A layer of grass or sea- 

 weed is first arranged in the bottom of the box, and the crabs are then packed in closely, being 

 placed at such an angle that the moisture will not run from the gills. They are finally covered 

 with seaweed, and in this condition will last several days." 



From another source we obtain the following account of certain crab-pens, differing from 

 the above, situated at the mouth of the South Shrewsbury River. We do not know to what ex- 

 tent such inclosures are used, but at the place visited by our informant there were four wooden 

 pens located near the bank, and also several cars floating close by. The pens had a capacity of 

 4,000 crabs each, and were devoted to the four conditions of the crab known to the fishermen, 

 one being for hard crabs, another for " comers," the third for " busters," and the fourth for soft 



