Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-12-12
The Oyster Trade of Baltimore.


The Baltimore American gives the follwing ill.,
teresting information, in reference 10 the oyster
trade Of that clty:-
The export oyster trade Of this city is one Of
its largest industrial interests and by It the city
is benefited to degree that is understood by
but few. The business of canning Chesapeake
Bay oysters and sending them to all parts of the
West was inaugurated about ten years since, and
soon grew to maximum that for the past four
years 1t has retained with but slight variation.
The exhibit of this maximum shows that year.
" average of 3,80O,UD0 bushels of oysters is
brought to this market. OF This number 1885,
000 bushels are taken in Maryland waters and
200 bushels in Virginia waters. Next to Bal
timore, the largest number of oysters arc taken
to New York, that city receiving an annual aver
age of $50 900 bushels, Fair Haven, Conn, re-
ceiyes 100. 900, Philadelphia 100000, and Boston
350,Ouo. These figures apply only TO oysters
taken in Maryland and Virginia waters, the yield
of the former averaging 4,8sOOOO bushels per
year, and the latter 2,O65, 900 bushels, the aggre
gate being 6,945, 900. There are about one tnous-
and bouts Of an average tonnage of fifty tons
each engaged in dredging for oysters for the Bal
timore market and supplying vessels for other
markets. A tax of four dollars per ton on these
boats per annum would produce a yearly revenue
of 100000. The average quantity drcdgcd by
each one of these boats during the oyster season
OF six months is TAG bushels, which, at an aver
age price of forty-fve cents per bushel, shows
the average receipts of each one of these boats
| to be S2,i287O for six months, or $3Ji.6 per
month. In addition to these sailing vessels there
are over fifteen hundred canoes engaged in tong
| ing for oysters in the nlets of Chesapeake Bay
and its tributaries. From these figures an idea Of
| the vnstness of the trade may be obtained.
| Th1re are two modes in which oysters are packed
here io transportation to inland localities. By the
| first method the oysters after being shucked ATE
washed until every 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 Of oysters,
and the can placed upright in box in which
| there Is Just space for two rows of them, and q
long block of ice, which is sawed to fit exactly
into the space left between the cans. All remain-
ing interstices are then filed with saw-dust the
box carefully nailed up, and the oysters are now
of the West. How long they will keep fresh
when thus packed depends entirely upon the state
of the weather. AT present they are being sent
as far us Memphis, one thousand three hundred
| miles distant. When n few days of warm weather
happen and there is danger of the oysters spoil
ing in the cars, the agent, who are employed in
all the Western cities by the packers here, open
the boxes which hold the cans and place fresh
blocks of ice therein that the oysters are sent
| fresh as far West as Denver and Santa Fc.
This mode Of packing will not, however, answer
when the oysters are required to be transported
to warm countries, or to undergo Il voyage on
| shipboard. For such use the oysters are steamed
In the shell and then taken out, washed clean, and
4
air-tight. Oysters thus preserved may be kept
pure for an almost indefinite length Of time, SC
that the cans are only kept air-tight. They arc
when put up In this manner sent all over the
world but the largest trade from this port is to
the West India Islands.
The packing and expectation so far this season
indicates that the trade Of this year will equal ant
perhaps surpass that of any of the past tire,
years The yield of oysters and the prices re
main the same.
There are at present about thirty pacl,ino house,
in the city employing some forty-flye hundred
shuckers or openers Of oysters, of whom th,
larger sumber are colored men and women. Owe
ten thousand people are interested in the oyste
trade in this city, these figures including tn
aud the employees in the different packin.
houses Of the 5,s6o,0oo bushels Of oysters IN
nually brought To this city, $4,000 bushels arr
packed raw, 1,360000 bushels are preserved b,
steaming and packed, and $4,000 bushels ar
used in the shell for the city and surrounding
country consumption. It is thought that tn
aggregate of the season that has just opened Wi
show decrease in the number of bushels packe
steamed, and corresponding increase in III
| number of bushels packed raw"