Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-10-28


To tell the reader that the oyster IL q lamelli-
brsschiate mollusc would be, in most cases, no
doubt. to tell him something new; but whether be
would care much for the information, new as IL
might be. 10 another thing. The season for these
ebivslves" (snother term With which people are
more familiar) has arrived. and although The
prices At which they are sold are exorbitant, cofn-
pared y'ts p.styears. censunpuon seems by no
snAAas 10 fali on
Oysters produce vast numbers Of young. Ae-
eording 70 some calculations, each oyster for
they are hesmsphrodite) produces ] 200 ,OOs eggs.
These are haiched within the she'll Of the parent,
and the young nav AZ the proper time be found
swimming 10 the fluid surrounding lie gills. Each
young oyster is about the hundred and twentieth
Of an inch IN length, and about two million may
be packed within the dimensions OF q cubic inch
When expelled, and this Is done simultaneously
At the spawning season upon an oyster bank, the
water becomes filled A. With q thick cloud. Most
OF these young oysters, or spzfs a. they are called
b. fsserneD, are devoured BY hsh, or lost By
being drfted into places unsuitable for their
growth. They are furnished with organs for
swimming, which are protruded beyond the shell
and used as fms in propulsion. These organs
have generally been s~uppo-sd 10 be temporary,
dsindliog away and disappearing when the oys-
Ter becomes fixed, but DR.. Lockland has recently
expressed the opinion that the swimming organ
Of the young oyster is the lungs, and remains
a. such In the mature oyster. Oysters grow
rapidly, and. in favorable situations, are usually
ready Tor the table in a year aud a half or two
There are many species Of oysters, and they
are found in the seas of all warm and temperate
climates. The Iong-hinged oysters Of Newfound.
land, Prince Edwards Island, Nova Scotia, and
the estuary Of 81. Lawrence (Ostrea CaRadensiG
has recently been introduced into this market,
under various jaw straining aboriginal names and
are highly esteemed. A still more elongated va
riety is found IN the Island OF CeyloD. specimens
OF which have been measured over eleven inches
10 length, thus confirming the stories related by
the historians OF Alexanders expedition, that 10
India they found oysters ? foot long. But our
principal supply is from the common Virginia
oyster and its varieties disseminated along the
coast and in The ~estaariss OF the rivers, from
Florida TO Maine, though now nearly extinct north
of Cape God.
Young oysters readily attach themselves TO the
shells OF old Ones and thus in favorable circum.
stances oyster banks increase with great rapidity.
On the coast Of Carolina and Georgia these
banks are very extensive, extending 70 aud above
low water mark. The people call them Raccoou
Banks, on account OF the fondness OF the coOns
for oysters, and their skill in extracting them
from the shell. So abundant are oyslers or
these banks that a hundred ton schooner NAV
often be loaded from the bottom over which she
swings when at anchor. Nevertheless, oyster
beds may De over-dredged, and this has destroyed
many once productive banks upon the shores OF
France and England, where il has been found
necessary 20 plant and protect them TO prevent
the entire destruction OF the fishery. Oyster cui-
tvation there has already become very profitable
and 10 rapidly extending, but, nevertheless,
American oysters, which are far superior TO those
OF Europe. are becoming. 20 considerable extent,
an article OF import into the port Of London
The home oyster trade of that port amounts "a
about l5O,OOO bushels per annum. worth half q
million OF dollars.
In this country, owing 10 a greater cheapnsss
and the easier circumstances of the working
classes. the consumption Of oysters is infinitely
greater than in England. The oyster trade OF
New York alone is estimated At s., 200, 900 an.
nualiy. This trade, says the Journal of Com
msrce, IL exceedingly profitable. The finest
favored bivslves are planted in the vicinity Of
New York, and from them are furnished a large
proportion OF those used 10 the West. Baltimore,
however. Is also q great entrepot for the Western
oyster business. A great many small oysters are
taken in Tappan Bay, on the Hudson. and plant
cd around the city in the various bays on the
Jersey and Long Island shores, where they grow
and fatten rapidly. and acquire a superior flavor.
The freshness or sadness OF the oyster depends
entirely upon the water in which il ia planted
and any OF the dealers can readily furnish a fresh
or salt biyalve as required. Two objects are in
view IN transplaDtIng the oyster-to have the
different transplanting depots convenient % the
local trade and TO improve the oyster. 1t il sim
gular that oysters planted in various waters differ
IN form and regularity. For instance, the Eas,
River oysters differ essentially from those grown
in Tappan Bay, and the same is true of other
varieties. The best oysters are the Saddle
Rock. Years ago the supply OF these was ex
iensive, but now one large dealer could sell
double all that are brought to New York.
Thousands OF bushels are, however. planted
IN that neighborhood. where they grow hearty
and fat. The Blue Point oyster L. the
next best. and hardly inferior to tie
Saddle Rock. Tho locality from which
these oysters IL obtained is on the south coast o.
Long Island. and the trade IL conducted by a
heet OF thirty or more vessels. The sbury
oyster Is caught in Newark Bay, and transplanted
IN Shrewsbury river There are very few natu-
raj growth oysters found now in that river. al
though the water Is admirably adapted to the
health Of the bivalves. Then there il the Mil
Pond, the Oyster Bay, the Lloyd's Harbor. the
Norwalk. the Cold Spring. and an endless variety
OF other oysters daily brought TO the New York
market. The trade in the Virginia business is
constantly increasing. acme seventy-fve to a
hundred vessels being employed in it.
These vessels carry from 1000 to 5000 bas
kets. each containing about 2O0 oysters. Unless
tue Stste OF Virginia does something to prohibit
people living outside OF the State from gathering
oysters. the business the coming season will be
large aud the prices materially cheapened. The
virginia oysters are generally fresh, and not to
be compared in richness of favor TO those gath
cred and planted around New York. Very fne
oysters are produced in the Rhode Island waters.
from which our market derives a supply. but
most oil The oysters sold Ia Boston come either
directly from Maryland and Virginia in the win
ter. or are Virginia or Maryland oysters planted
around Cape Cod. The latter are known a. salt
oysters. while the former are fresh. having grown
IN The mouths OF rivers or BAYS fed by fresh water
streams. They al vary much in siEe aud flavor.
according to locality and season. Boston Har-
Dor has become quite unfit as a place for planting
oysters. owing to the various filth from the sewers
and manufactures, which impafts a disgusting