The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-05-12
Clustering Ina Virginia

| from the Hearth and Home.
The oyster beds of Virginia have long
been famous for their vast extent, as wei
as for tue excellence of the bivalves OBJ
tanned from them. In the days when Old
| Point Comfort was fashionable resort for
summer visitors, and when the Hygeia
Hotel was in its prime, the Blue Point and
| Cherrystone oysters, served at its table
were esteemed by epicures unequalled by
any other in the world. Whether this be
50 or not they were certainly prime
They passed away with most of the ho-
tells and watering-places along the shores
of the Chesapeake Bay and Hampton
Roads, but the Virginia oyster beds are
likely, under ordinary circumstances, to
last as long as the world, provided they are
left undisturbed during the spat or spawn-
ing season.
The oyster is wonderfully fecund, and
the mud banks along the shores of Vir-
ginia and Maryland seem to have been its
home from time immemorial. The in
spector of oysters for Virginia estimates
that during the year ending September
LIST, 1869, five hundred carrying vessels,
five thousand small boats, and one thou
sand vessels, were engaged in the oyster
business in the waters of that State alone.
The estimated produce of the beds during
that period is ten and half millions of
bushels at the lowest calculation, but as
there is State tax on each bushel, thou
sands of bushels must find their way to
market without the knowledge of the
State officials.
This yield of oysters seems immense,
but would scarcely be more than enough
to supply New York alone, where the
packing-houses and consumers require an
nually over ten million dollars worth of
oysters. The beds located within a circuit
of one hundred miles of the New York
City Hall, are, however, the chief sources
from which the metropolis is supplied.
Most of the Virginia oysters find their way
to Baltimore, and are thence distributed
over the country, either in the shell or
packed in cans, as in this shape they are
sent to all quarters of the globe.
Like other harvesters, the oystermen |
CLEAN the richest rewards for their labors
in fair weather, and upon favorable day
the oyster beds are seen thickly dotted |
with vessels of all sizes and shapes man
ned by two or more men, according to
size, each busily employed removing, with
a pair of tongs, the choice bivalves from
their muddy home. As soon as cargo of
oysters is obtained, these tong-men make
for one of the carrying vessels, which are
cruising about the grounds, to
dispose of their oysters, for which they re-
ceive, on an average, forty-five cents
bushel. These carrying vessels are COM
PEELED to take out State license, which,
they are required to exhibit to the oyster
police.
The proceeds of the bdshel tax aud
oystering license adds yearly to the State
treasury from forty to fifty thousand dol
lars. 1t is well known to all who are at
al conyersant with the characteristics of
The oyster, that it varies materially, &C.
,ording to the water it inhabits, and we
notice that the Californians are preparing
20 take advantage of this property, by
raising in their waters huge oysters, to
match the mammoth fruit their fruit trees
pear. Last year, Chicago gentleman
lent three barrels of seed oysters to be
planted in San francisco Bay and Puget
sound. He has recently received some of
he proceeds Of this planting, and finds
hey are fatter and three or four times
anger and more luscious than the oysters
Indigenous to the Pacific slope. Ten car
Dads of seed oysters have since been for
sarded, which, if properly protected. will
Don produce enough to supply the coast
nd the interior with an abundance OF this
delicious article Of food, and California
ysters may yet become as famous as those
# Virginia and New York. -- Il