420 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



change a "peeler" to a "buster" and another from a "buster" to a 

 soft crab. 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-hoats. — Most of the crab catch is sold on the grounds where 

 taken, the dealers in Crisfield 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 commonl}^ 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 



