FISHERIES OF THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC STATES. 269 



The value of oyster canneries, oyster and crab houses, wholesale lish 

 establishments, and all other shore property connected with the fish- 

 eries was $1,878,669, the amount of cash or working capital required 

 in conducting the various branches of trade in fishery products was 

 11,640,285, and the total investment in the fisheries and related indus- 

 tries, including vessels, outfits, boats, apparatus of capture, shore and 

 accessory property, and cash capital, amounted to $5,821,610. 



The products taken by all kinds of apparatus consisted of 28,213,744 

 pounds of fish, fresh and salted, valued at $500,745; soft crabs 1 2,347,637 

 in number, valued at $177,637; hard crabs 15,999,948 in number, valued 

 at $39,949; shrimp, 1,020 pounds, valued at $510; crawfish, 2,908 pounds, 

 valued at $262; oysters, 7,254,934 bushels, valued at $2,885,202; clams, 

 15,286 bushels, valued at $8,842; turtles, 5,465 pounds, valued at $289, 

 and terrapin, principally diamond-back, 7,266 pounds, Valued at $3,226; 

 the total value, including 1,594 pounds of caviar, valued at $644, being 

 $3,617,306. 



Oysters were taken in greater abundance than any other species, the 

 catch comprising nearly 80 per cent of the value of the entire product. 

 The crab catch is next in importance, aggregating in number of soft 

 and hard crabs 28,347,585, and in value $217,586. The shad is also an 

 important species; the quantity taken and sold fresh was 5,779,563 

 pounds, valued at $158,865, besides which 20,000 pounds, valued at $500, 

 were sold in a salted condition. Alewives are also very abundant, the 

 quantity sold fresh being 11,727,199 pounds, valued at $72,657, and 

 salted 5,408,900 pounds, valued at $50,676. Various other species, as 

 blue-fish, butter-fish, carp, cat-fish, croakers, eels, menhaden, white 

 and yellow perch, pike, squeteague, striped bass, sturgeon, and suckers, 

 are also taken in considerable quantities. The diamond-back terrapin, 

 which has heretofore been a promineirt species in this section, has 

 largely decreased in abundance. The catch of menhaden is also not 

 so large as it has been in previous years, chiefly from the fact that 

 while a number of vessels belonging to Maryland were engaged in 

 this fishery they were chartered in Virginia and their catch has been 

 properly credited to that State. 



The three following tables exhibit the number of persons, the num- 

 ber and value of vessels, boats, and apparatus of capture, the value of 

 the shore and accessory property, the amount of cash capital employed, 

 and the quantity and value of the products of the fisheries of Maryland 



in 1897: 



Persons employed. 



How engaged. 



On vessels fishing 



On vessels transporting . . 

 In shore or boat fisheries , 

 Shoresmen 



Total 



No. 



6,962 



1,125 



18, 540 



16,185 



42,812 



