crop n also crap DC ~ Nfld (1906); cp OED crap sb¹ 5 'money' obs or dial (1700-1787) for sense 1.
   1 In sealing and fishing, the personal equipment. or supplies issued against the profits of the 'voyage.'
   [1854] P 197-77 I propose leaving [Bay de Verde] on Tuesday for New Perlican to issue the sealers their crop. 1897 J A Folklore x, 204 Crop, usually pronounced crap, the personal equipment of a man going on a sealing voyage, supplied by the merchants, but distinct from the provisions of the ship. It includes provisions for his family, if he receives any advance of that kind. 1906 LUMSDEN 116 The voyage had been a failure; the men had hardly earned enough to pay for their 'crop,' or outfit, and had nothing coming to them. [1918-19] GORDON 32 Went out to Porter's Post and got Mr Haviland to give me a 'crop.' [1929] 1933 GREENLEAF (ed) 246 "The Sealing Cruise of the Lone Flier": It was on a Tuesday morning when our captain came from ship, / Says he, 'My boys, you'll sign on, and then you'll get the crop.' / Our crop composed of boots and clothes, likewise a fork and pan. / 'If there's anything else you want, my boys, you must get it how you can.' 1936 SMITH 12 I shall never forget my first crop that I had—one pair of long-tongued fishing boots and a suit of oilskins, including a sou'wester, T 36-64 When you starts in the spring you'd want, say, twenty-five or thirty or forty dollars of a fit-out—bit o' grub, rubber boots an' rubber clothes and so on. They call that your crop. T 141/68-65 In the event you made a poor voyage, the difference between what you did get an' the price o' your crop [would] be wiped off. 1976 CASHIN 54 This 'crop' or advance consisted mainly of sealskin boots for each of the crew, some tobacco, oatmeal, sugar and raisins and some other necessities of comfort. The actual cost was nine dollars, and in view of the fact that the firm was taking a gamble on the venture, the sealers were charged twelve dollars or 33% more than the actual cost.
   2 Comb crop note: merchant's chit entitling sealer to his personal equipment.
   1929 Nat Geog July, p. 130 The only guarantee a sealer gets is food and a crop note, equivalent to $9. 1936 SMITH 49 Job's premises were filled with men, as there were four ships, as well as the Neptune, taking on supplies for the seal-fishery. There was over a thousand men along all the ships. The next morning we signed articles and got our ticket and crop note.

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