12 Report of the Board of Shell Fish Commissioners. 
Knowing the value of each of these factors it becomes pos- 
sible to ealeulate the number of oysters an oyster ground 
must produce per acre or per square yard in order that oyster- 
men may secure a livelihood by working upon it. 
The factors into which the Commission resolved the liveli- 
hood problem; the value assigned to each factor and an out- 
line of the scheme devised for use in examining oyster ground 
and applying the definition to the grounds examined, are 
given below. 
For a detailed account of the investigations carried on to 
determine the value of each of the above factors and to de- 
velop methods of securing the information needed concern- 
ing the condition of oyster bottoms, reference should be made 
pe the First Report of the Shell Fish Commission, pages 
2 to 69. 
Minimum livelihood of Tongman...........+esee eee e cece seer eceeeees $ 277.75 
‘F es Sot ge ae Oe 2 Seg ar ok ie aren See $1,836.25. 
Average prices received for oysters per bushel.................-. $0.60 to $1.00 
Minimum livelihood expressed in bushels of oysters: 
Price. Tongmen. Dredgers. 
$0.60 462 bushels. 3,066 bushels. 
$0.75 ae YS 2,448 oe 
$1.00 278 we 1,836 »” 
Number of marketable oysters per bushel..............0ecscceeecescesees 329 
Minimum livelihood expressed in number of marketable oysters: 
Price. Tongmen. Dredgers. 
$0.60 151,998 oysters. 1,008,714 oysters. 
$0.75 121,730 =‘ 805,392 <‘* 
$1.00 91,462 ‘ 604,044 ‘* 
Number actual working days in tonging season..... hia Ye oO Big eties, ed Sed eke ak 100 
rs ae 5 CO St GRORGT RE mee Ss call d, enliedvk ode a 58 
Unitof tonging operabioud, 20.4 Asien ode oo oe overt. the ‘‘ grab’’* 
“A ‘‘grab’’ is made when the tongs are placed upon the bottom, with the 
heads open, and the shafts closed once. 
