The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-03-12
the OYSTER TRADE OF new YORK.
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Whore do all the Hard Shells Come From !
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Extent of the Business in the Metropolis.
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Five MiIIlon Dollars Worth Sold Yearly,
As., &c, 10.

ticles of human food. Oysters were at one time
regarded as a luxury, but they have now be-
come almost as indispensable as tea or coffee,
with which our remote ancestors were but little
acquainted. 1t is only within the last thir-
y years that the oyster trade was established in this
city Before that time, it is true, oysters were sold
here; but the business transacted was exceedingly
limited, and I here was little or no nducement for
persons to engage in it. Nearly all that were brought
10 market were procured from the natural beds, for
The benefits to be obtained from planting were but
mperfecty understood by few Of the dealers, or en-
trely unknown to them. In the course OF few
years, however the business grew into importance,
and men Of capital and enterprise engaged In it.
The planting of beds-a very essential part of the
1rade-was commenced the few oyster boats, of di-
ninutive size, engaged in supplying New York, be-
came nm immense eet an extensive trade began with
Virginia; the East river became mine Of wealth to
those who worked its beds; the coasts of our bays,
and the shores of our rivers explored and given
over to the tongs the scrapers and the dredges Of
NE oystermen. 1t was found that by removing the
could not only be increased in sze but improved in
quality and rendered t for use at any period of the
year. This was very important matter to underi
oyster is unfit for use in consequence Of its being
full of spawn. While they remained in the natural
bed they always subject to this obection but II
not permitted to lie too long in the artificial one they
could be preserved free from spawn. Although they
increased in size, they seldom or never became more
numerous by transpanting. Hundreds OF vessels are
constantly employed, during certain months in trans
planting in the East river in Princes Bay, and other
parts Of the waters of this State.
The importance of the oyster trade may be judged
from the fact that the wholesale and retail sales ex-
eeea five millions Of dollars annually, and more than
fifty thousand persons are employed in 1t. We in
slude in this estimate those who engaged on the
beds, and in conveying them to market by boats, and
the retail and wholesale dealers. The amount OF
capital invested in boats of all sizes is estimated at
about five millions of dollars, and we add to this the
value of the beds themselves, the depots, &C., the
amount would exceed twelve millions. We consider
necessary to state these few general facts before
going into the particulars Of the trade which we have
arranged under appropriate heads.
VIRGINIA OYSTERS.
large proportion of the oysters sold in and around
catherine Market are from Virginia. There is GER
tain part of the year in which they arrive in great
quantities, and that is from about the fifteenth Of
November till the first Of April. It would be .
tedious task to enumerate all the varieties that come
om that State as there are no less than twenty-five
Or thirty. The whole seacoast Of Virginia is in fact,
one vast oyster bed and there is not State in the
Union which is more productive in this delicious
shellfsh Thousands Of persons are employed in the
fisheries, and of these nearly all are slaves. They
are engaged in taking the oysters from the beds, or,
rs they are called among the initiated, the rocks.
It must not be supposed from this, however. that
they are found upon rocks for in this instance, the
term has very different meaning from that which we
generally attach to it. The rock " from which the
oysters ore obtained is composed Of common
sea sand or mud, on the top Of which they
are distributed. These rocks are natural, that
u, the oysters which grow upon them are
not transplanted, as is the with those brought
from Princes Bay, on the southern coast OF Staten
Island. The quality Of The oysters we may state
here, depends as much upon the character OF the
sand or mud upon which it grows, as that OF any We
getable upon the nature of the soil where it planted
The number of vessels employed during the sea-
son, between November and April, in supplying
the dealers in Oliver slip and other depots in
the city with Virginia oysters is about one
thousand each Of which is valued at an average OF
three thousand dollars The crew is composed, gene
rally Of four hands and the cook, and the monthly
wages given to each person varies from twelve to
thirty dollars, according to his capacity. Unlike the
ishermen Of Fulton market, they do not own shares
in the boats upon which they employed, for their
occupation is of very different nature. They are
not engaged in the fisheries, which, as we have
stated, is conducted by another class Of men, and
heir work partakes more Of the character of sailors
than that of fishermen. They are required, in the
ansplantng Of bed to heave the oysters overheard
70 clean the bed about once year. and perform va
rious other work Of like description The cleaning
Of the beds takes place generally every fall, and is
accomplished by means Of "scrapers," singular
boxing instrument, somewhat resembling scythe,
with this exception that at one side Of the blade
hrge bag, constructed Of iron rngwork, like many
purses we have seen, is attached. Into this all the
scourngs Of the bed, cleaned off with the front of
The blade fall, and the whole is hauled up at regu-
lar intervals and deposited in the boat to be after.
wards thrown into the current. In this manner the
whole floor Of the bed is scrared quite clean, after
which it is considered ft for the reception Of the
oysters. The process Of cleaning bed is performed
by the vessels under full SAIL and it is not unusual to
zee several of them at work at the same time. It is
a yery iaborious task and those who are employed
at il, we have no doubt, earn their wages. great
loss is sometimes incurred by what is called the
~sanding" of oysters, that is, by their becoming
Embedded in or covered over by the sand. This is
caused by currents other agitation of the water,
shifting the sand upon the oysters and smethering
Them. It may strange that oysters, or any shell
6sh which lies on the bottom, could be killed in this
manner; but such we are informed is the fact, by
those who have been long time engaged in
the oyster trade. They differ materially from
soft shell clans in this respect, which are found
sometimes at a depth Of twelve or fourteen inches
below the surface Of the sand. When 1t is discovered
that the oysters are beginning to sand, the greatest
despatch is requisite to save those that remain above
the surface, for those below 1t are considered worth
less. Out of ten thousand dollars' worth nlanted