The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-08-26
CIR AZ FfRSffNG.
How Mr.. sydney Van Brupt Raises shcdders,
Busters, and son Crabs.

"What's them ?" exclaimed Sydney Van
Drunt the e,Vat crab farmer. the writer having
poin,rd to certain little enclosures In the Shrcws-
bury river Mr. vaa Brunt's tone bctokcncd
establishment at the Ignorance Of the duesiioner.
or possibly shadowy suspicion that he was
being chaTcd. Assured that the reporter de-
sired information. only that and nothing more.
the veteran crab cutivator volunteered to cx-
plain the whole sustem Of crab raising. First
he conducted the reporter into small building
containing an immense refrigerator. Opening
this he showed him hundreds of soft shell crabs
rcndy for the market. All were alive. although
few moved Some II is true, swayed their claws
gently to and fro or feehly worked their filppers.
but the majority were too closely packed "
move at all. , ,,.
From the toe house to the low mnrshy banks
Of the Shrewsbury the distance is but II lew steps
and soon NE crab farmer and the reporter were
in "A flut boat lrisurcly cruising among the CRAB
ponds and crab cars which are near me pnnk.
=" have four ponds said Mr. Van Brunt
and they're all pretty near iull 81 cfhns t .ia
H. they hold about 1000 apiece. Thnt one totno
lett has hard shells. the next contains romers'
The next busters. and the last shcdders.
on / see" said MIR. Van Brunt. cu,tlng bim-
self short in his description at ths slsht Oh til9
| reporters puzzled iace, " you don't undrrstand
all them names. Well. III tell you. conner Is
! shell | and my boys can always tel 'em by
their color, by their fairness "a crab is always
! ON tGrir biz claws that only an old hand can
| toll. buster ia conner that has Just begun to
| poke himself out at the back OF ms smell As
/ short space OF time he's II genuine soft shvll
crab rondy to fry. We go tht9ush our POM pom,
ers sheddcrs. and soft shells. putting .ach sort
| in thcir own place II W. left the sh, dlers an,
| soft shells with the corners. some OF them would
| be- eaten up. for Gratis are mighty big caters
and don't care whether they Iced on th'r rem,
tyes Wy s9neh XIII o my y r. bs
shell and chaw him up before he can 'rawl out
H. can't help himself, YOU see. cause me- NV
claws nre half out oi tho OLD ones. anu nos AS
limler and limp ~ wet rag. .,
What are those fish cars over there ?,
"Mell W, keep soft shells in them. and some
times put busters in Tor Safety Now and then
crab has II mighty hard time getting out oil
his shell, hut generally they don't seen TO SUM-
much. The hardest part II when they Iul
their cyrs-you notice how they bulge ont u
front through the hole that seems too sinai
Here Mr.. Van Bruni took buster from ilsi
car and PLACED HIM IN. s"mr s'nwseh on ~,
watched the process Of shedding. The gral
was already nearly half way ont the bark -l'
being raised fully AZ inch. and n dgrk errrl
body proiruding. Tue cr"niur"'s notions wrr
almost imuer'eptihl", "NHpt as I" ih", 'yrs
These moved slowly to and fro. Gradually ia
she'll ro-, hi gh"r AMI higher. and IN" lpdy WI
the Il .pprr- az the new crab. appeared. Thr
there WIS "a mighty "lurt IN" eyes came clos
together and IN moment Tia" crab quilted It
Old house.. bringing lis blk claws out last, an
law exhausted ON ii- hel oi sruwr"d. Alinn'
INSTANTLY II began To- swell. and IN less ;',nn w.
, from which 10 had iu-t backed out.
, Tn only tim" crab oyer grows. said VI
, Van Bruut els Just alter shedding tn" MAJ
, crab sheds every moon. hut thu female. OF co
crab only on 20 Ia her lifetime.
Nr. Van Brant lccnn crab farming at SIua
nitrsn years ago. hii one 'a-ou tn" crop ihil 20
4 | and he. cmisrni .dtoth" ewrhury eleven yea
4 az. Generally. h. says. rrao- met WIN reg,
A enough sHir. hut of LAT So many hay" gone N
1 III" crab farming hu- noes that M" mafN'f
gluttcd. Ia war times crabs used t. bring ~"
~ 50 H. - ler dozen at first hands. tut iu
X most of the profit H. with the nHrkrtn"n. ~
1 DAY the breeders - cents dnl"n. and sell u
= crabs al from 81 30 ~ a dozen. only Il few w-'
% ago he sent $500 worth tu market AMI W
e. forced to sell them for Whatever ccould -
b, The Shrewsbury river. near Long Branch,
$ the great crab farming region.