Smyrna times., 1867-06-12
oysters and Canned Fruits,

The magnitude of the oyster trade saws tbo
st. MIchaels (Md.,) C0mct is but little Known
10 th0se who have not given themselves the
trouble OF collecting the statistics uDOn thi,
ou'gect. ferhapS, even among our own citi.
zchS VINO are SO largely engaged in this busi-
ana the immense numbers employed in the
various branches of the business The ran.
lulty with which 1t has grown to its present
| proportions Is no less remarkable. 10 an
preclate its Importance as an Industrial resource
or the State and as source of nroductivo
capital attOrdlng remuncralivc employment to
thousands, we must consider the relation if
oeIfS 10 other branches OF industry
and manufacturing We extract from a rn
port Of DIR. James Higgins, State A Arrruiturol
Chemist, the following statistics ON this i'm
reliable. " io"nu
Baltimore continues the great centre for
tllS class OF goods, especially as relates to
oysters and most kinds Ut fruits and vrurt,.
Dies, ana the past year has more fully demon
stratcd her peculiar advantages of position
for it, P0'''4o'i
The houses prosecuting the trade have in
o~icaScu ~ uurlng the year 1850, and now number
upwards OF torty employing more than f. 900
persons Of both sexes, in the various denart.
mcnts OF shucking, packing, peeling, pre-
serving, &c. 0' F'O
Inc oyster packing commences in Sen
tGhoer, anu continues to June 10Th, thourh
the great bulk of the hermecically sealed VA
rIctcs are prepared for market within abont
thrce ana half months, when the OYSTER is in
pcrcctlon. The quantity Of oysters BROUGHT
~ tiilS market Is fully 5,O0U,OOO bushels.
though some dealers estimate the rac.int. ~
seven millions. Some two millions 0f tGo"a ~
are packed raw III cans (iced) Of J to GAL
ION III size; requiring about /, 30, 900 cans and
1oO,OVO cases. The balance Of say 1000 OO0
bushels, are Theoretically sealed. The avera ge
uallY consumption for the whole season is
upwards OF 10000 bushels but during tLe
tlfee and half months Of hernleticaIlv sealed
dctlEily inc CONSUMPTION is upwards of II 900
The raw or fresh oyster branch gives en-
packing, &c. The shuckers are pripcinajI1y,
negroes PAA'Oip''i5
Inc hermetically. sealed. branch requires
aouI aoouI Z'oOO, chiefly white persons, OF the
ialla'e seX-ior the reason that tho new pro-
cess Vi stealnlng, renders the OPENING of the
oyster yiS SO simple that children may do f.
Inc number OF cans |, = and ) pounds each |
herlhetlcally sealed daily during the active
SEASON Is quite $1,000 Thus nearly s, 600 900 |
u u, oaS arc required Tor the oysters; and during
the fruits and vegetable season of summnr
the daily average is about the same for y |
period equal to the oyster season of winter 90
Chat some 10 to 10000, 900 OF cans of oysters
fruits ana vegetables are the product 6f This
INDUSTRIAL pursuit, and these again renuirc
some 6OO,OOO Cases in which they are nacEnJ
The manufacture of the cans gives emnlov-
lheht 10 upwards OF lOur hundred persons and
the value OF the tin, solder, &c, used IN the
Is near million of dollars
ne Case making requires some two hundred
ployed and the cost OF them is about $256. 00o
Inc average cost OF the oysters for the wear
has been about 80 cts. per bushel The v,lun
OF the hemetIcally sealed oysters, fruits and
vegetables Is equal to SO, 500, 900 and that of
the fresh oyster branch more than half os
much more, or SUN total in value of This
trade upwards OF $5,250,OOO.
Inc number OF vessels engaged taking ovs
Iers Id lor the Baltimore market is more than
Iooo Vi nity tons each, aud some 500 to 600
Vessels OF larger class are running them to
market. Those vessels, 1900 to 1000 in num-
Oer, require an average of crews equal to four
eeacn' or some 6OO pcrsons-then during the
, summer ana Autumn, or the fruit and vegeta
Dio ScdsOii' as many more persons are engaged
plckllng, boxing and shipping them to market
Dy steamers and bay craft; and when all these
oysCcrs' fruits and vegetables reach our wharycs
'nclo ID " lGeihlhg hive OF carterS, cartuen and
Of the same. INV "0'i'cly
Ihls trade has so rapidly grown to prodigious
proportions within a few years, as to excite
with those who have had most
experience in it. The chief points Of shin
ment Tor these goods are to the West fppr
West, and North and Southwest, while the
trade to California, once SO large has dimin.
lshed down to mere insgnifcenco
This by no means shows the full extent oI
the trade, as the cities Of the district pb;lo.
delphia, New York and the Northern cities ties
derive their chief supply from this section. md
Price Current. ''''ioio
Sn1~ VN~4