The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-23
MAINE'S LOBSTER CROP
IT IS A BIG THING DOWN IN
 NEW ENGLAND.
How the Crustaceans Are Caught
 and Kept for the Market-1m- smense Ponds Provided at Coast Points.

Now that the Summer visitors have gone the people along the eastern. coast of Maine are turning their attention to the harvesting of the lobster crop that is to furnish materials for the Winter broils and salads, says the New York Tribune. In former years the Holsters were sent to market as soon ass caught. but nowadays, in order to regulate the supply and maintain prices, different policy is pursued, the fish being kept in ponds and cars. alive and fresh, and marketed according to the demand. In these days when the catch Is much small or than formerly. the system is indis- penSable, insuring as 1t does something like regularity in supply, and, whereas without 1t there would be an alteration of feasts and famines.
 Lobsters are caught in traps-csges made of framework of wooden slats or laths, semi-cylindrfcal In shape-two or three feet wide ont the hat part and to cover the ends. the netting extending inward in funnel form and having open ings through which tke lobster finds 1t easy to enter, but practically impossible to escape. At stated intcrvals-once day usu3lly-the traps are drawn up from the bottcm, where they are sunk, and the Holsters taken out. The trap s then freshly baited and sunk for another
 
 their catch to the owner of pound. who keeps a large stock on hand and sells to wholesale dealers at points along the coast from Passport to Boston, Portland being the largest market.
 A pound is simply large tnclosure, usually formed by building wall or dam across the mouth of cove where there is a good, clean bottom. Some of these coyes are inclosed with stone walls. oth- CTS by dams formed of billing. The pounds at Gouldsboro are among the largest In Maine, and at Blue HHl there is pound wherein 30.O00 Holsters may be Nkept in the very best condition for an indefinite period All the pounds are now being placed in readiness for the Tall crop,s and will be filled as fast as the Holsters are brought in. good many holsters are kept in cars, which are great hoating sases, whence they can easily and quick ly be removed for shipment, in some cases the cars being moored alongside steamboat wharves, so that ths transfer from the water to barrels on the steam CTS deck Is accomplished in a very short time-G case of Tive Holsters while you wait.''
 The laws of Maine prohibit the taking of Holsters less than 101-2 inches in length, and, although there are many violations of the law, this prohibition has Just as the theorists and statisticians send out periodical alarms about the de- struction of Maine's forests. 90 they am nounce annually that the last Maine lob ster will soon be caught and the day Of salads be only an spicurean memory, but the coast of Maine is extensive, the Iob- ster family is numerous and prolific and its commendable efforts in, the direction of multiplication and expansion are being ably assisted by the United States Fisher ies Department, whose work in the 'cHl- tiyataon and propagation of this best of shelIhsh has met with gratifying success.