272 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
houses, valued at $50,000, and employing 700 persons, who receive nearly $100,000 in 
wages anuually. The quantity of oysters handled by these houses approximates 
650,000 bushels annually and consists mostly of “Choptanks” and “Eastern Bays.” 
Anne Arundel County . — Excepting Baltimore, Annapolis is the only wholesale 
oyster market on the Western Shore of Maryland. The business was established 
here about 1866 and, together with the oyster fishery, at present constitutes the most 
important commercial source of revenue in the “Ancient City.” Nearly all of the 
oysters handled are the product of the tonging-grounds along the shores of Anne 
Arundel County, with occasional cargoes from Eastern Bay and Chester River. The 
quantity received at this market annually amounts to about 300,000 bushels, and the 
persons employed in the 10 houses, which are valued at $35,000, number 400, who 
receive $40,000 a year in wages, the cost of handling the oysters being about $75,000. 
Other ports . — Several small markets exist in Wicomico and Queen Anne counties, 
giving employment to about 125 persons and utilizing about 110,000 bushels of oysters 
annually. The shucking-houses in Wicomico County are located at Whitehaven, on 
the Wicomico River. Salisbury, in that county, formerly handled a large quantity of 
oysters and was the first wholesale market established in Maryland outside of Balti- 
more, but the more favorable location of Orisfield attracted the trade of Salisbury as 
soon as the former port obtained railroad facilities. 
The oyster trade at Seaford, Delaware, located on a branch of the Nanticoke 
River, is entirely dependent on the product of the fishery in Maryland, nearly all of 
its supply being obtained from the Tangier Sound and tributaries. This was the first 
of the down-the-bay oyster markets, the industry being started here in 1859 by Messrs. 
Platt and Mallory, from Connecticut. From 1860 to 1868 a large business was done 
in canning raw oysters. At present there are 5 shucking-houses at Seaford, valued at 
$19,000, employing 415 persons, and handling about 250,000 bushels of oysters annually. 
The following tables exhibit with much detail the extent of the shucking trade at 
the county markets during certain seasons : 
The county oyster markets. 
1889-90. 
Counties. 
Number of firms. 1 
Number of per- 
sons engaged. 
Value of property. 
Cash or credit cap- 
ital. 
Wages paid. 
Oysters > 
received. 
Oysters sold. 
Enhancement in 
value. 
Average cost per 
bushel. 
Average value 
received per 
bushel. 
Average enhance- 
mentin value per 
bushel. 
Bushels. 
Value 
paid. 
Gallons. 
Value re- 
ceived. 
Somerset 
Wicomico 
Dorchester 
Talbot 
Queen A nne 
Anne Arundel . . 
Total 
27 
18 
14 
2 
10 
1, 436 
63 
789 
716 
37 
403 
$115, 750 
3, 300 
49, 430 
47, 975 
1, 750 
34, 500 
$112, 950 
5, 000 
76, 500 
37, 200 
1,300 
40, 000 
$165, 886 
4, 925 
94, 440 
102, 976 
' 5, 31C 
56, 500 
1, 140, 753 
46, 500 
674, 200 
709, 970 
35, 000 
387, 941 
$513, 138 
20, 925 
303, 390 
333, 925 
14, 500 
139, 680 
771, 558 
31, 500 
. 451,254 
484, 595 
23, 700 
271, 620 
$780, 376 
33, 560 
456, 558 
505, 976 
23, 751 
231, 860 
$267, 238 
12, 635 
153, 168 
172, 051 
9, 251 
92, 180 
$0.45 
.45 
.45 
.47 
.41 
.36 
$0. 68 
.72 
.68 
.71 
.67 
.60 
$0.23 
.27 
.23 
.24 
.26 
.24 
72 
3, 444 
252, 705 
272, 950 
430, 037 
2, 994, 364 
1, 325, 558 
2, 034, 227 
2, 032, 081 
706, 523 
.44 
.67 
.24 
1890-91. 
Somerset 
28 
1, 545 
119, 075 
123, 250 
181, 675 
1, 259, 040 
570, 969 
848, 206 
834, 034 
263, 065 
.46 
.66 
.20 
Wicomico 
2 
123 
8, 800 
11, 500 
11, 633 
110, 500 
55, 250 
74, 950 
77, 680 
22, 430 
.50 
.70 
.20 
Dorchester 
19 
745 
50, 850 
75, 100 
83, 910 
583, 783 
294, 526 
398, 935 
407, 954 
113, 428 
.50 
.70 
.20 
Talbot 
13 
632 
49, 450 
35, 200 
80, 735 
562, 446 
277, 297 
382, 170 
386, 892 
109, 595 
.49 
.69 
.20 
Queen Anno 
2 
32 
1, 750 
1, 300 
5, 050 
33, 000 
16, 500 
22, 400 
22, 530 
6, 030 
.50 
.69 
.19 
Anne Arundel . . 
9 
386 
33, 000 
39, 500 
34, 800 
261, 523 
136, 240 
201, 064 
187, 910 
51, 670 
.50 
.70 
.20 
Total 
73 
3,463 
262, 925 
285, 850 
397, 803 
2, 810, 292 
1, 350, 782 
1,927, 725 
1, 917, 000 
566, 218 
.48 
.69 
.20 
