Evening star., 1911-08-25
Premium on Female Lobsters.

The state legislature appointed COM
mission of experts. passed protective laws
and established a hatchery at Wick
ford. The commission pays % per cent
more than the market price for seed
bearing Holsters. and Furnishes with
severe penalty fishermen who sell them
to any one else. In this way the fe-
males are protected. the eggs are hatch
ed and the baby Holsters are released In
Narragansett bay when they are old
enough to take care of themselves.
passed what Is known as the "nine-inch
law" imposing a fine of 81 upon any
body, no matter whether he be Usher
man. a retail dealer, restaurant dealer
or a consumer. who Is found with q
lobster measuring less than nine inches
In his possession. There is similar law
in Massachusetts. In Maine lobster
must be ten and half inches long to be
legal.
Maine produces 100000 pounds Of lob
sters, which are worth more than $2,OOO :
COO, and about 3.OGo men. make their iiv-
ing out of the business. The same laws
prevail in Maine for the protection OF
the lobster and for the promotion or the
Matching. But the fishermen have cer-
tain tricks which have caused the COM
missioners a good deal of perplexity.
Lobsters are very prolific. They begin
to bear eggs when they are six or seven
years old and nine inches long. and the
first season will bear from 5000 to 1O.OO(
eggs. The eggs increase at the rate OF
about 30 per cent a year until they reach
a maximum of $4,000 or 100000. which
have been found in Holsters seventeen
and eighteen inches long. The average
binary size
Lobster Stretching Stopped.
The Maine lobster fishermen used tC
stretch their Holsters SO as to make them
| legal. The law required them to measure
| ten and one-half inches from the end Of
the nose to the rear end of the shell. Now
| lobster is composed of two sections
| which can be telescoped or extended. II q
| fisherman had a lobster that was little
short of the legal size he would give u
a little wrench and it would stay pulled
out. at least an inch longer than wa'
natural but it killed the lobster. Th'
fishermen who played this trick wer'
able to sell the victims. but the customer:
| who bought them always discovered ina
/ they had dead Holsters on their hand
| when they got home. rhe state had beei
cheated we'll as the customer. There
/ fore the law was amended. requiring lob
| sters to be four and three-fOurth inches
| from the end of the nose to the rear ent
/ Of the shell that covers the body. Tni
/ is solid shell and there Is no way Y
| shove it in. or pull 1t out. or stretch 1t II
| any way. lobster that will measur
| four and three-fourths inches across tn
| shell will measure at least ten and one
| half inches from the end of the nose Z
| the end of the tail. Inspectors are al
ways going about the fish markets an
groceries where Holsters are offered TO
| sale. and IL they find short one 1t Is al
| ways sure to be confiscated and the own
er is required TO pay q fine OF 81.
The fish commissioners say that the sam
mother Holsters come In to be strippe
every year. a fact which is demonstrate
by the practice Of punching holes in tn
thin parts OF their tails. This does no
hurt the lobster. but is a mark that can
not be obliterated. So. when lobste
that is brought in by fisherman an
paid for at % per cent more than tn
ruling market rate has been stripped Q
its eggs a hole is punched In its tail an
II is put back into the ocean. Nearl
half the seed-bearing Holsters that com
in nowadays have at least one hol
punched in their tails and sometimes fou
or five.