. | 59 
The larger houses employ from 50 to 75 women and girls, who 
make from 50 cents to $2 a day. The crab meat is thoroughly 
washed and placed in six-pound buckets and shipped inbarrels, well 
packed with crushed ice. The shells are cleaned and shipped with 
orders of crab meat, being used for “devil crabs.” ‘The part of the 
crab left after picking, called “trash,” is sold for $14 a ton, and 
is used as a fertilizer. 
To show how the demand for crab meat has increased, one of 
the largest packers on Honga River in 1902 shipped 300 gallons ; 
in 1910 this same packer shipped 1,500 gallons. Similar instances 
were noted in many localities. 
CONSERVATION OF THE INDUSTRY 
While every improved contrivance has been adopted for catch- 
ing and marketing the crab, but little thought has been given to 
its conservation. 
The only protective measure for crabs on the Statute Books of — 
Maryland is a closed season on hard crabs, between November and 
May, when there are practically no crabs to catch in our waters. 
Without the immediate passage of protective measures and 
their strict enforcement, this important and lucrative industry is 
sure to decline. In fact, the season when crabs are most plentiful 
is becoming shorter. In 1910 boats were engaged from May until 
October, and the length of the catching period has shortened each 
season since. During the season of 1915 there was a great scarcity 
of crabs up to the month of July and those engaged in the industry 
realize that something must be done to conserve the’ supply. 
The absence of any cull law on hard crabs causes a very serious 
waste, which in money value exceeds several hundred thousand 
dollars a year. The small hard crabs, under five (5) inches from 
tip to tip of shell are sold to the crab-packing houses in barrels 
together with the matured crabs, are dumped into the steam 
boxes and after being cooked are turned out on the floor of the 
assorting room. ‘The crab pickers are paid for the quantity of 
meat they pick and the small crabs, too tedious to pick, are thrown 
on the “trash” pile. Thousands of small crabs are destroyed daily 
at every large packing house. If these undersized crabs are re- 
turned to the waters they would mature within five months. Forty 
matured crabs will pick out 6 pounds of crab meat. One thousand 
