THE CRAB INDUSTRY OF MARYLAND. 



By WiNTHROP A. Egberts. 

 Agent of the Bureau of Fisheries. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Mai\yland furnishes by far a larger supply of crabs than anj^ state 

 in the Union, and it is not improbable that its people were the lirst to 

 discover the edible qualities of this crustacean t'md its value as a market 

 product. The only species taken in the commercial fisheries of the 

 state is the blue crab ( Callinectes sapidus). which is caught and marketed 

 in both the hard-shell and the soft-shell condition. The fishery for 

 soft crabs, however, is mucli more extensive than that for hard crabs. 



Most of the data in this paper were collected by the writer during 

 an investigation of the fisheries of Maryland in 1902, when the entire 

 crab-producing region of the state was visited and most of the fisher- 

 men and dealers interviewed. Prof. W. P. Ha}^, of Howard Univer- 

 sit}', who was at that time engaged in an investigation of the natural 

 histor}^ of the crab, collected also data concerning the fishery, and his 

 notes have been freeh^ used in this report. It has been the purpose 

 not to deal with the crab from a scientific standpoint, but accurately 

 to present the information obtained relating to its economic value. 



Acknowledgment is made to the crab fishermen and dealers in this 

 region for courtesies rendered, and especially to Mr. Isaac 11. Tawes, 

 of Crisfield; Mr. Harris, of the firm of H. L. Harris & Co., of Cam- 

 bridge; Mr. Frank L. Corkran, of Oxford, and Mr. Moses E. Pritchett, 

 of Bishops Head, all of whom contributed much ^'aluable information. 



THE SOFT-CRAB INDUSTRY. 



The greatest crab shipping point in the United States is Crisfield, 

 Md., situated near the extreme lower end of Somerset County on the 

 Little Annemessex River, a tributaiy of Tangier Sound. This town 

 not only receives the catch taken from Maryland waters in its vicinitj^, 

 but also the principal part of the Tangier Island catch. Deal Island 

 ranks next to Crisfield. as a shipping point, but it has the benefit of 

 steamboat transportation only, while Crisfield has train service in 



F. C. 1904—27 417 



