268 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
among tlie packers resulted in a dec rease in the fraudulent practice, but it was not 
entirely broken up until 1884, when the general assembly required (L. 1884, ch. 257) 
that all persons engaged in steaming oysters should cause to be stamped on each can 
the true weight of the solid oysters therein, all sales of unstamped oysters to be void. 
Provision was made for the appointment by the governor of two persons as examiners 
of the oysters packed, who should see that the law relative to “ light weights” was 
properly enforced. Each person or company engaging in the canning of steamed 
oysters, as a condition on which they were permitted to carry on the business, was 
required, at the end of each month, to make a sworn statement to the comptroller of 
the State treasury of the quantity of oysters steamed, at the same time paying into 
the State treasury one-tenth of 1 cent per bushel for all so used. 
The following statement is presented exhibiting for a perio d of years the quantity 
of oysters utilized in the steaming trade at Baltimore : 
Baltimore steaming trade receipts. 
Season. 
No. of j 
bushels. 
Season. 
No. of 
bushels. 
1865 66 
1 965,000 
1888-89 
2, 570, 217 
1879-80 
1 2, 689, 939 
1889-90 
2, 491, 088 
1884-85 
! 2,745,923 
1890-91 
1, 860, 792 
1885 86 
! 3,074,770 
1891-92 
2, 396, 763 
1886 87 
1887 88 
\ 2, 909, 761 
1 2,591,402 
1892-93 
1, 826, 428 
The number of houses in Baltimore engaged in steaming oysters is 20, valued at 
$1,255,000 ; of these, 10 valued at $630,000 engage in handling raw oysters as well as 
steamed. These houses are all located along the shores of the harbor, and, together 
with the ground occupied, range in value from $6,000 to $185,000. The quantity of 
oysters handled by each house varies from a few hundred bushels to 650,000. The 
smallest quantity handled by any one house in 1889-90 was 631 bushels; in 1890-91, 
3,866 bushels; in 1891-92, 7,918 bushels; and in 1892-93, 2,014 bushels. The largest 
quantity handled by any one house during the same seasons was 551,771, 5 60,815, 
557,984, and 505,100, respectively. On several occasions a single house has steamed 
over 170,000 bushels in one month. 
The following table exhibits by months the quantity of oysters steam-canned at 
Baltimore during certain seasons : 
Months. 
1884^85. 
1885-86. 
1889-90. 
1890-El. 
Bushels. 
6, 244 
390, 257 
586, 370 
459, 460 
83, 005 
290, 980 
269, 372 
311,075 
1892-93. 
Bushels. 
10, 677 
490, 608 
348, 395 
178, 830 
14, 0*2 
39, 134 
346, 910 
397, 832 
September 
October 
November 
December 
January 
February 
March 
April 
May . . , 
Bushels. 
61, 623 
268, 180 
474, 826 
485, 062 
255, 424 
274, 921 
543, 523 
382, 364 
Bushels. 
67, 281 
564, 023 
769, 265 
516, 052 
129, 004 
247, 289 
575, 364 
206, 492 
JBushels. 
354, 241 
549, 817 
299, 218 
141, 459 
301, 352 
385, 996 
457, 820 
1, 185 
Bushels. 
20, 524 
207, 436 
396, 728 
307, 183 
165, 312 
308, 709 
157, 329 
295, 203 
2, 368 
Total 
2,745,923 
3,074,770 1 
2, 491, 088 
1, 860, 792 
2, 396, 763 
1, 826, 428 
The following is a description of the methods employed in steaming-houses: 
The oysters are taken from the vessels and placed in cars of iron frame-work, 6 or 8 feet long. 
These cars run on a light iron track, which is laid from the wharf through the “steam chest” or 
