Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-26

the crab Is so delicate that It is impossible
| to ship him with safety any great distance
The oyster can be shipped in cans to the
Pacific coast or to any interior point; and
| IN fact oysters have been planted along the
| coast of Washington and California until
now the western oyster industry is OF some
Importance. But the soft-shell crab is a
delicacy which penetrates only a short dis
lance into the interior. II is a chief arti-
| Gle of diet in all eastern cities, however,
and particularly at the summer resorts,
and one OF which western visitors carry
pleasant memories to their homes.
The soft crab occurs on the Atlantic
| coast all the way from Massachusetts, to
| Mexico and is abundant also in Chesapeake
bay and as far up the tributary streams as
fishery is at Crisfleld on Chesapeake bay,
just opposite the mouth Of the Potomac
| river. Here more than 1000 men are en-
gagged In fishing for the crabs from May to
October, their total catch being more than
100000 crabs. The value Of the industry
to the fishermen Is more than 100000 I'm a
season. There are other crab fisheries In
| the upper Chesapeake. In Indian river, Del
aware. and in the Shrewsbury and other
rivers In New Jersey. But no one OF these
at all compares in importance with the
Crisfield fishery. In fact all Of them put
together are Of far less value.
The Short Season.
Although the oyster Is of more interest In
the winter than the coft crab, the Grabbing
industry would be valuable the year round
II the crabs could be had. But from October
to May the crab retires to the deeper waters
where he remains half buried la the mud
until the return OF warmer weather draws
him to the shoal waters near the shore
But the oyster industry keeps the fishermen
Of Criefeld busy during the winter months.
as means OF filling in the time when oys-
tiers were not in demand, and IL 10 only
within the last fifteen years that the In
dustry has grown to important proportions
OF general use In all the cities of the east
The soft crab Is not always a soft crab
Technically he Is the blue or edible crab;
and sun more technically he is the CALI
nectes hastatus Ordway. The soft crab Is
soft crab only when he sheds his shell.
When he is very young he sheds II frequent
ly. As he grows older he sheds only once
or twice In year. As he is OF commercial
value only when he is soft, II Is of some i'm
portance to the fishermen that he be can
tured at time when he has Just shed his
shell. or Is preparing to do so. When the
crab Is preparing to moult and his shell Is
loosening. he is known TO the fishermen OF
Cfisffeld as Conner" Tong conner or a
short conner" When his she'll has berun
a
or buster" according to the fancy of the
fisherman. The ''peeler'' Is known in Other
localities but the conner" is known Nv the,
title only to Crfsheld.
Must BE Handled mt Once.
Unless the crab is taken in hand tr,me-
diately after moulting he becomes a hard
crab and the hard crab has not the mar
ket value OF his soft brother. The ex-
perienced fisherman win quickly tell what
NJ -
fast as the crabs are brought in from the
fishery they are placed in floats ana there
they remain until they shed their shells
The best time for catching the crabs is
tust after daybreak. The fishermen of
Crisfieid believe that the crabs are much
more active during the night than during
the day. and they make their start for the
fisheries just at dawn. 1t is not uncon-
mon for crab fisherman TO make his en-
tire catch before breakfast. Certainly he
catches more at that period than he soes
during the later hours of the day. All OF
the fishing is done I'm small boats Of an
average value Of, perhaps, so. Usually the
boat carries but one person, but sometimes
IL Is large enough TO have a crew on two
or three. The boat chiefly in use Is a small
sail boat known In the vernacular of the
CHESAPEAKE region as a ''kunner''-the local
carried on by individuals on their own ac-
count. Most Of the fishermen use a dreige
or scrape, which resembles somewhat The
Oystci ~ 10 iieulcE, however. and
is provided with a pocket Of netting, some
few of the boats use dip nets The dredges
are attached to the sides of the boats Inv
long ropes. II stiff breeze is blowing the
boat is brought well up to the wind or
put under reefed sails and the dredge is
thrown overheard and allowed to drag
along the bottom. At intervals the boat
is brought to. when the dredge is drawn
UP and emptied on board. Then the
crabs are separated by hand from the ma ss
Of mud and grass which has come up with
them Where the dip net is used the fish
ermen pole through the shoal water and
dip UP the crabs one at a time as they
are seen.
The Price for Soft Crabs.
Each OF the small boats will average sew
enty five 10 a hundred crabs In a day. These
are sold for cash to the shippers. whose
sheds line the shore. As the crabs are
brought in the dealers count them, sepa-
rating the soft crabs, the short comers''
and the long comers." and paying for them
according to the market value. The price
received by the fishermen varies from L.
cents to cents for each crab.
Tbs soft crabs are separated from those