394 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
been put in the cars while the seine was being emptied, are thrown 
away, and the “bulls” are placed to one side. The remaining fish are 
then weighed and turned over to the marketman at prices varying 
from 3 to 5 cents per pound, according to the locality and the season. 
For the “bulls” the marketmen generally give from 20 to 35 cents 
each, without regard to the weight. 
All the fish are sent from the market-houses while fresh. In prepar- 
ing for shipment, they are either dressed or left “round,” to suit the 
demands of the customer. They are packed in boxes and barrels, and 
usually with two layers of fish and one layer of ice alternating, the fish 
being placed backs to backs and bellies to the ice. The prices received 
by the marketmen for the fish range from 53 to 8 cents per pound, 
round weight. They are shipped mostly by express, and are marketed 
throughout Texas, Mexico, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, ete. 
Nearly all the marketing is done on a C. 0. D. basis, but few open 
accounts being kept. For expressage the transportation companies 
charge a fixed rate on the net weight of the fish, and add 25 per cent 
to that amount for the weight of the box and ice. They also re-ice the 
fish en route, when necessary, without extra charge. 
Oysters are marketed in much the same manner and by the same 
houses that handle the fish taken by the bay seines. They are sold by 
the fishermen direct to the wholesale dealers. The price received for 
the oysters varies, according to the locality, from 50 cents to $1.25 per 
barrel, which is the unit of measure. There is no very active competi- 
tion in the business, and but little variation exists in prices through- 
out the season. Those sold at 50 cents per barrel are not closely 
eulled. At Galveston, Corpus Christi, and Point Isabel the highest 
prices rule, while the lowest prices prevail in Matagorda Bay. On the 
reefs in the last-named bay as fine culled oysters as were to be found 
on the Gulf coast were sold in the season of 1890-91 at 60 cents per 
barrel; 90 cents is about the average price received by the fishermen 
throughout the State. In 1890-91 this average price was somewhat 
less on account of a large quantity of small and unculled oysters being 
sold for planting on the preémpted grounds around Galveston. 
On account of the cost of transportation but few oysters are shipped 
from the coast in the shell, and prior to 1891 nothing had been done in 
the way of canning steamed oysters. The shucking is done by men 
and boys, who receive 25 cents per gallon, or in some places $1.25 per 
1,000, and at other marketing centers they are paid for the time em- 
ployed. Some of the shuckers come every season from the Atlantic 
coast to engage in this work. Theshueked oysters are shipped in pails 
holding from 1 to 10 gallons, and in hermetically sealed tin cans con- 
taining from 25 to 200 in number. They are sent to all parts of the 
country west of the Mississippi River, Kansas, Colorado, and Texas 
receiving the larger part. The trade is rapidly increasing, and the 
Texas oysters are successfully competing in those States with the pro- 
duct from the Atlantic coast. 
