New-York tribune., 1867-09-06
THE OYSTER SEASON.

With the commencement of the present month
opened the oyster season. ard already the trade in this
the most lucious OF shesh is expanding III Its propor
tons Probably the last few days Of August were que
m cool and quite suitable for oysteratnG az those
which we have experienced in September but the latter
il conyepionay the initial month OF the season. on ac-
count OF its containing the magic R and the first OF sep
tember was celebrated by large sale of the intelligent
oyster Our fashionable restaurants where for months
before this species of food had been lnerdcted were
suddenly occupied by hundreds engaged III devoUilng
oysters in every style The roast the Dro the n.y. the
rawtbey were faverites in every shape, aud no ono
seemed tired Of eating them.
Few people can conceive OF the extent OF the oyster
trade In New-York City Here beside containing an i'm
mense number Of consumers prepare and ship abroad
and I'm the interior nearly all the oysters that are con-
sumed The business in Baltimore, Philadelphia ana
Norfolk-all Of them renowned for their pi'aNes-H
utterly insignificant compared with that OF the metrOp
oils. Wo may be bellndhand IN some tbnSs puI Cvi %
tainly In oysters We are ahead Of the world AT the
proper season, 90 wherever You VIII IN the uoiil0
great cities OF the West and south-Chcago st Louis
Cincinnati Heworeans. ct dL-can furnish oysterr0 th To-
only and in jars but also the half-shel es
dripping from the sea- apparently; anu eSo oa @ ba We
their oysters natural cOnc0mitant OF tne pui ia
while San Francisco with her pertaining Chain vi 9o'. u
towns produces ker own shefsh, with the racine 40
But nearly all the others supplied from this city;
In the first place the oyster business Itself SHOWS us
in The chief oyster beds which contribute 70 te o
metropolitan demand are all WITHIN rtulus % VI q, he ern
merated There hundreds OF shallow pays nets su
little eoyes along The shores OF staten i tSu % 10 thc
pressing demand. Princes Bay, ana YORK nay ON ho %
Staten island coast Little Neck Bay (also noted or tn
excellent quality of its cans Cow Bay, Oyster Bay ana
Flushing Bay, and many more too hume eIOs 10 icitlv, W
form the great oyster chain on the East River both the
northern and the southern shores Of Long Island SOUND
are prolific in their production OF the oys.et & aG are
| IcaUed
mand. . ,, -
specne the number OF vessels and employed IN he
oyster trade From the estimate which our reporter mas
made for this paper there about $50 vessels employ
ing about 1000 men and boys engaged in Princes aud
York Bays alone. About the same number hhd snpQy-
men along the south shore of Long Island This in
cludes the Great South Bay co miles long with an aver
ago width OF four miles, Cinder Bed, Broken Bottom,
Among favorite stations Of the NewJersey and staten
Island shores Shrewsbury, Parkers Bay, ADseeuh
near Atlantic City, and large number O Othes Ies
places furnish employment to about 200 sail OF vessels ana
| 10 over 1900 men and boys. =,
With due consideration for outsiders ana Tor lhdl,
vidua effort, Ii Is safe TO presume that there are 2v
vessels ot counting the small boats without SAILS and
poTfation for the New.York demand Then the city
alone there 1900 persons wholly engaged In openg
preparing, asserting. and packing the DNalyes; WINE
there are probably hah as many more ehgased In %
capaees-waters cooks ana Dar,ehdels % 5 ,her
out the existence OF the OYSTER would nave 10 seek oher
| employment. q.
here In the metropolis Is very simple aialI puI .er
very few people who understand IT, The CROWN ana
drlciOusncss Il obtained almost entlrety
tiOn. The seedlings, dimnutlye OYSTER about as large
your thumbnal, brought from various iDSaHcS
and planted order to receive their maturity Ie mud
banks of Virginia yield millions Of them, ana there
! are also most productive backgrounds in the Hu1-
| son aud other rivers. the seedlings VIII attain
neither size excellence their native beds and the
system transplGntatOn IS required to develop them 70
the full and flavor OF maturity Most OF the Virginia
planted in Princes Bay and neighborng pays
and nlcs and the yield Is most satisfactory anu pol
liable. North River seeds transferred to the East
beds where the superior strength OF the harder
brine quickly develops them, and also hastens on the
spawning season. The SADDLE Rock" rs Is called, j.
one the most favorG oysters used in the metropolis
The seed Of these is brought from Tappan Bay IN the
Hudson River about 35 miles from the city, ana planted
at place called City Island, and adjacent beds IN the
East River, within about 20 miles OF the lower uOchs
They remain In their new wat0ly home Tor about TWO
years, when they dredged, carefully selected, ard
| Gent to the market
Tie oyster estab slments OF this city much more
| extensive than is supposed. The principal firms on
the east side MessTs Bolton & Belts, and Messrs.
Dorian Schaffer, who do immense business IN the
been the haunt Of the oystorme. At time
the oyster bOat or rather floating shops, were located
the foot of Spngst. tine Hudson stream. SuDse-
qucntly they have been moved up above ClrsOpherst
and the business that done from these stations Is
very great The entire West and South supplied
from these places, and from Fulton Market In can and
shell and the city also backs its wagons for their reg
lar supply.
The retail prices for oysters may be pretty well gov
erned by those which rule at Fulton Market 10 VIII
stew, roast, fried brOcd raw-35 cents each; Saddle
Rock, 90 cents; extra box stew, 80 cents
These prices varied In the various establishments
throughout the city according to the character 0t the
place but IL r representative. We must nave our
oysters. and almost always Wiling TO pay ioi
them