420 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 
change a ‘‘peeler” to a ‘‘ buster” and another from a ‘‘ buster” to a 
softcrab. A few hours after shedding the crab has reached the ‘* paper- 
shell” stage, and within three days the hardening process is completed. 
The warmer the water the more rapidly do the changes take place. It 
was formerly customary to break a crab’s claw to ascertain whether it 
had begun to shed, the term ‘‘snot” no doubt having arisen from the 
watery substance which issued from the break. Experienced fisher- 
men, however, find it unnecessary to resort to this test. 
Crabs are sold by the fishermen principally in the ‘* peeler” or 
‘*buster” condition, just before the shedding takes place, the proportion 
sold as soft crabs being much smaller. When the shell of a crab that 
has just shed has hardened to a ‘‘ paper-shell,” the fisherman is able 
to dispose of it at only about one-fourth the price of a soft crab. 
‘“Snots” are seldom bought by dealers, but are returned to the fisher- 
man, who places them in his floats until they become ‘‘ peelers,” or 
are in a salable condition. 
— Buy-boats.-—Most of the crab catch is sold on the grounds where 
taken, the dealers in Cristield and Deal Island employing buy-boats 
for this purpose. Up to 1902 sailboats only had been used in this 
trade, but in the latter year gasoline launches were introduced, and 
both kinds of boats were employed during a portion of that season. 
It is very likely that the number of launches will be augmented during 
each succeeding season, and it is also very probable that the crabbers 
themselves, following the example of the lobster fishermen of New 
England, will add auxiliary power to their sailboats, and thereby 
secure the benefit of both means of propulsion. It is feared, however, 
that the resulting increase in catch will be greater than the natural 
increase of crabs. 
Floats.—Every crabber has what is known as a float, a rectangular 
box approximately 10 or 15 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 2 feet deep, 
the sides and ends being constructed of laths, and the bottom of 6-inch 
planks. Extending around the float on the outside, midway of its 
height, is a shelf about 7 inches wide, to prevent the float from sinking. 
The laths on the sides and ends are placed about one-fourth inch apart, 
to prevent minnows or eels from getting at the crabs inside. These 
floats are used by the fishermen as a means of holding crabs that have 
entered upon the shedding process, but which have not yet reached 
the ‘‘peeler ” or salable condition. The dealers also use floats, some- 
times as many as 100, but usually of a larger size than those of the 
fishermen, and costing from $2 to $3 each. The floats are inclosed 
by a fence to prevent their being washed away by strong winds, and 
this inclosure is commonly called a ‘‘ pound.” The floats now in gen- 
eral use are made of native or ‘‘ Eastern Shore” pine and ordinarily 
will not, unless exceptional care is taken of them, last through one 
season, as they soon become water-soaked and sink. One was seen 
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