The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-10-30
NUMBER II.
THE OYSTER TRADE.
Nascs Of En-. crest Gomez sfinE the National
I,tyagyuIar FayOrite.

Oysters are found in both salt and fresh
water, but the former arc superior in
| size and favor, and generally grows in
shadows. where there are no breakers.
| The principal breeding time Of the com
mon oyster is in April or May, when the
spawn, which at first appears like little
| spots OF grease, ftsten upon rocks or
stones. Very commonly it adilcrcs TO
adult shells, and thus are formed oyster
banks 1t takes about eighteen months
for an oyster 10 obtain table size. The
powers of multiplication the oyster pos
sesses" saws Il writer, ARE so wonderful,
that the banks or beds which they form,
occupy portions of the sea extending for
miles in shallow parts. The species most
esteemed in America, are the Virginia
oyster co. Nirginia), and northern oys-
ter 10. Roreali3)." Naturalists have
found that the oyster possesses iocomo-
tive powers; they move from place TO
place bysuddcnly closing their shells, and
Inns eiectipp the water contained be-
tween them With sufficient force to throw
themselves backward or in n lateral di-
rection. Yesterday Times reporter Wis
tied those piers on Delaware avenue,
specially set apart for the use of oyster
mer. About a dozen trim shops were
observable. moored between the quays,
upon which were lying countless dredges,
and their crews were busily engaged
bending sails preparatory to proceeding
to the bank A prominent oysterman
gave the following facts yesterday In re-
gard to the trade to the writer:
sTbe first arrival of oysters this season
will be from the western shore and Maui
rice river-the jersey and Delaware
sides of the bay. None of these oysters
have been in the market this summer.
Yes. those are southern oysters you see
the Betsy Jane unloading; they have
come from Chester river, Maryland, and
they are not good for much. l wouldn't
import an oyster out of the regular sea
son, though a good many are consumed
during the summer in the cities and fash
ionabie resorts. About five hundred
Philadelphia boats are engaged III TIE
oyster business, and they are owned by
about sixty-five merchants, few OF "hon
own more than ten or twelve. lou ASH
me if last season was good season! Yes,
sir; it was very fair: if this season Is as
good, shan't complain. We can Tell
till the oysters begin to come III, put we
hear favorable reports from the banks Us
to the probable yield. All oystermen
who do large business, ship heavily to
the country. We send large quantities
to Boston, Ohio, Michigan, even as tar as
California. Certainly they have got oys-
tiers on the Pacific coast, but they're too
coppery-have got the English flavor. l
don't ship many across the Atlantic, but
others do in considerable quantities,
mostly to France. They'll keep in the
she'll even as far as San Francisco. The
hotels, saloons and. retail dealers are, OF
course, our best customers. A great mum,
Der of oysters are opened on the dock and
the shells carted away to the lime kilns
along the Schuylkill and the gas-works.
Gas can't be made without the best lime,
which purifies it. Prices vary so much
during the season, according to the sup
Div and demand, that l can't give you
any very close estimate; asa general rule,
common sorts run from 81 so to 50 80
per 1000, and prime all the way from
Sc to So