New-York tribune., 1907-08-03
FOR LOBSTER LOVERS.
rn,oite Crustaceans Prospects
Groseing Brighter.
Trrom The Tribune Bureau. ]

u-oshington Aug. 2-The exhaustion of the
,.,s-er supply is not imminent, alarming sta
;.cs have been erroneous IN reporting a
.sIjer catch than in former years, the New
-,eland coast waters full of short Holsters
~. summer, and the United States bureau OF
sshsries is confident that II will be able TO
.sr the supply up TO the present and, possibly,
= greater standard This is the good news
h-ourht by Commissioner George NJ. Bowers.
ubo has just returned from New England. His
-, was made with the object of determining
rbsther or not the work being done in lobster
--onasatioa Is effective, and he is delighted
VIII what he found. In speaking Of his trip he
said:
The lobster question Is solved There has long
,sen lowering fear about the resorts of all the
Fss-era country. which gets its lobster supply
troul New England and caters so high priced eli
.ntele. that the time was rapidly coming when the
.prrly would be exhausted The belief has grown
resr by year, and with il the price of Holsters has
.as-ed. But the trouble has been largely in the
increased demand rather than decreased supply
TO BE sure. figures compiled on the lobster eaten
show gradual decrease for twenty years III
.tonld be remembered however, that twenty years
ego practically all the Holsters brought to market
we're those caught by the fishermen. and X was
,nsshie 20 record practically the whole catch Now
.te conditions are different There are vast num-
rs az summer homes and cottages along the
srbos coast OF New England. and particularly on
-. coast OF Maine. where the lobster output is
a,..- VI Each Of these cottages is responsible for
a.. existence q lobster pot or two and each pot
constant drain the resources OF these
so-e-s Yet pone Of this catch goes into the cal
1a,ton when the years output is figured up II
C. "a Ihere would probably be TO discrepancy be
- The figures Of to-day and those OF twenty
years Eso r. e,;.- =; ,,,,.,,,r ,-,,.ar ,,y
n..r numbers Of vigorous young Holsters back
-, -. coast waters every year. The method of
S..,r -be work IS being gradually improved and
-eer.ed When first began the purchase OF
tf-sIs lohsre-s with the idea OF replenishing the
tess hy breeding great numbers Of young ones we
90. unable 70 hatch more than 1900 eggs in a sea-
con from 6 given captive. but a year later We Sc
- sa which number grew n few years TO
rn0 and will this year amount TO 1900 TO the
individual 49,
80 most favorable for :e propagation of the lob
Ger They Ike the pure. rough water. There Is
br- & small percentage Of the eggs taken at w oods
J5ole and Gloucester. tie MASSACHUSETTS slsuoQs.
-+a- orosper FOR there sediments and inlpuri-
..ss n the water but the Maine coast is ideal At
~ Poo-hhav Harhor station viii this year
-.ka e-taer thousand female Holsters. The season
,s nearing its close at present. and We can make
sai- estimate Of results. From this estimate we
expect 10 put 100000 young ones back into the
ooesn This year. The Matching has been going on
-ner-ly in the lobster pound at that place The
,o,,rd is The inclosure IN which the mothers are
kept and communicates directly with the ocean,
rsTi,p rienty OF pure salt water. The eggs are
tasen and Matched in Jars. as We hatch hsh, ana
,s Eoon possible subsequently they are put oach
ino the This action must be taken proi1ap'
II as Holsters cannibaEstc IN their hapl's anu
ea- each other. The best chance OF saving their
Iyes Is 20 isolate them from their fellows and tis
can best be done By widely scatteTng ther1 IN the
o,ean N doing this select the places where
lohste-s have always appeared 10 be most aoun-
ds1t arguing from this fact that the condltlolls
t-e most favorable there. and the young are likely
70 flourish the more.
The bureau OF fisheries has been especially ac-
I'VE for the years just past. and from reports
a., h,e 20 Gather N the New England coast the
-s.ults OF that activity are being strongly feit
catch oe mature holsters IS greater than IL mas
been fer twenty years II IS every "here .ep"i1 1eu
.ha. -he catch Of short Holsters those that are
nc grosr is very great These, Of course, are put
hsrk sn-o the water. In that IL requires tfree
years FOR lobster grow TO maturity II requires
so-e limo for the work of the bureau 10 he felt
n tne market The large catch OF young lobsters
Il p7obably due 20 the great NUMBERS We nave
hee- r,Jttirs into the waters and when these nave
ra-e9 f1,l size the beneficial results VIII be sun
nc-. Tla!n.y f.st. The effectiveness OF our WORK
VII increase every year, but regard the problem
ss already solved