Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-12-27
DAILY DEMOCRAT.


II |, curious and instructive to read CT
what tho world eats, In the gigantic agsre-
gate ftii1ls aae with a wholesome awe IL
he infinite bounties cf nature. Every u.sa
knows What 10 eats, ard ho~ mucii-oys-
,ers. fox instance bu. lac never reflects, IS
the sayory inhablisnt of the shell. wre7ctsd
from, rocky homes, glidos dosn las throat,
how mauy thousands are RECALLING then
selves al lie expense Of the same livestock,
At he .an.e time. The Baltimore incricss
yves yery Interesting s,ietc IL the trade
If that great rssri Of oy sturs THE exhibit
shows that yearly average Of S,soo,o QUO
bushels Of cy stcrs arc brought to the snaket.
Next 70 Baltimore, the largest number OF
oysters are taken to New York, that city
receiving an annual average Of l,050.o0o
bushels. Fair Haven. Gem receives 10o.-
600; Phi.adelphia. 100000; AID Boston.
900, 900 bushels. These figures apply only
10 oysters taken in Maryland and Virginia
waters. the aggregate bsing 6.945, 900 bush
els. There are about 1000 boats, Of an
average tonnage OF 30 tons each. engaged
in dredging for oysters for the Baltimore
market. and supplying vessels for other
markets. A tax Of 81 per ton on these
boats per anuun would produce yearly
revenue Of 5000, 900. Ia addition TO these
sailing vessels there are over 1890 canoes
engaged in longing for oysters in the inlets
CT Chesape axe Bay and its tributaries From
these figures an idea of the vastness Of the
trade may bs obtained.
There are two modes in which oysters are
| hacked here for transportation to inland
localities. BY the first method the oy sters,
| IL a1 verr
/ particle Of sediment is removed from them,
and the natural juice Of the oyster entirely
drawn off They are then packed in air
tight cans, each of which holds quart oil
OF sters, and the cans placed upright in a
| box in which there is just space for two
rows Of them. and long block Of ice, which
is saved 10 fit exactly in the space left be.
tween the cans. All the remaining inter
s.ices are then SLED with sawdust, the box
carefully nailed up, and the oysters are now
ready for transportation TO Gil the principal
cities of the West. How long they will
keep fresh when thus packed depends en-
tirely upon the state OF the weather. Al
present they are being sent as far as Mem
phis, 1890 miles distant When few
DAYS of warm weather happen, and there is
danger Of the oysters spelling in the cars,
the agents, who are employed in all the
Western cities BY the packer here, oper
the boxes which hold the cans end placs
fresh blocks Of ice therein. 30 that the oys
tiers are sent fresh as far west - Denver
and Santa Fe This mode Of packing vii
not, however, answer vi hen the oystsrs an
required to be transported to warm coun
tres, or to undergo voyage on shipboard
For such use the oysters are steamed in th'
shell and then taken out, washed clean. ant
then packed in cans that are sealed 90 - 4
be perfectly air-tight. Oysters thus pre-
served may be kept pure for an almost indie
finite length Of time, 40 that the cans as
only kept alright. They are. when pu
up in this manner. sent I'll ever the world
but the largest trade from this rsrti 10 10 th
West India lslsnds.