THE CRAB INDUSTRY OF MARYLAND. 419 
but with a light wind the two men together handle a heavy one. A 
- erew of three men can, with a favorable breeze, handle three scrapes 
at the same time. It is the object of the scraper to have the boat get 
sufficient headway to go slightly faster than the crabs can travel, so 
that they can not escape when once in the bag. Scrapes are not allowed 
to sink in the soft bottom, as the mud covering the bottom of the bag 
would furnish a means of escape. The scrapes are taken aboard every 
few minutes, or after covering from 75 to 200 yards, and the contents 
are emptied out and sorted over, usually on a board platform or broad 
flat trough conveniently located at the side of the boat. The bulk of 
the material brought up is grass and mud, from which the crabs are 
picked out and distributed in the several receptacles provided for 
them, according to the successive stages of their development. 
Scrapers endeavor to reach the crabbing grounds as early in the 
morning as possible, before the crabs are moving about and have 
become scattered. The best catches are made between daylight and 10 
o’clock in the forenoon, and between 3 o’clock in the afternoon and 
evening. The bright sun in the forenoon drives the crabs back into 
their holes until hunger forces them out again in the afternoon. On 
cloudy days they remain out much longer. 
Season.—The soft-crab season extends from the first of May to the 
last of October, but a majority of the crabbers discontinue fishing in 
September to engage in oyster tonging. During the first two or three 
weeks of May they follow what is known as ‘‘mud-larking,” that is, 
scoop-netting in marshes and along the banks of small streams, the 
crabs being found in the mud at this season of the year. By the first 
of June the crabs become more active and the season is then consid- 
ered at its height. The heaviest catches are made during June and 
July. Scoop-netting is followed throughout the season, but little 
scraping is done after the middle of July, owing to the calm weather. 
Very often a fisherman will begin scraping early in the day, and when 
the wind has ceased anchor his sailboat and use his skiff for scoop- 
netting in shallow water. In some localities the bottom grass grows 
so thick that the scrape bag fills with it and prevents the crab from 
entering. The scoop net is then brought into service. In water less 
than 3 feet deep it is a common occurrence for the crabbers to leave 
their skiffs and wade out after the crabs with scoop nets. 
Designations of a crab.—There are six stages of a crab’s life, com- 
monly classified as follows: First, the ‘thard crab,” or one in its 
natural condition; second, a ‘‘snot,” or one that has just entered the 
shedding stage; third, a ‘‘peeler,” when the old shell has begun to 
break; fourth, a ‘‘ buster,” when the new shell can be seen; fifth, the 
‘*soft crab;” sixth, a ‘‘ paper-shell,” or ‘Sbuckram,” when the new shell 
is beginning to harden. During hot weather it takes from two to 
three days for a ‘“‘snot” to become a ‘‘peeler.” One tide will often 
