, 1877-12-02
Comparative Merits Of the Chesapeakes,
DelaWares, and Long-Islands.
The 1fessrs. Hoyt's Discovery Of the Main
Conditions Of 0yster-Breeding.
The Internal Structure Of the Mollusk-
Work Of tic 0yster-Farmer.
tIo,f al 0.stcr.Farm looks-..3 Blsiness that PaYs
letter than Agriculture.
6ri',nrr's .3fnnfhly.


conditions Of its life that the prog enY Of singh
na.ent may represent at maturity tho mos
widely variant forms OF oystcr-srowth. Til,
naturc OF the substance on wLich an oyster j:
fixed the consistency Of tho bed in which il
rests, the deptl, Temperature, and lsatness Of ths
wafer il lives in: every circumstance Of its en-
ylrou,neut, in 1acl, is reelected i'll its shape AM
sic, in the character Of its shell, and in tht
favor II its meat. An oyster which begins It's
settled existence on ! stallop-shcll will carry
through lle the impress Of its first resting place
and tire general form, OF the oyster is US subjec.
TO the accidents Of plate and surroundings ~
arc the markings Of its she'll. Left to crowd
ouc another on Ill irregular surface, oyster:
grow
CROOKED AND USsMArELY.
Planted on soft mud, into which they sink with
increasing weight, they build their shells almost
entirely on the forward edge, becoming thir.
shcl!ed and narrow; and If left long enough to
struggle acat,st imnendiag su1Iocation, their
length will be five or six times their breadth,
mud their meat mere ribDun Of frngpd integ-
ument. On a s-rayelIy bottom in swift current.
the same stock grow deep. and broad, aud
massive: and, with abundant growing space,
develop the oval form, the large and solid
meat characteristic Of the typical Northern
OYSTER On QUE ground. the shells will be
sutt anu heavy: on unothcr, thin, tine, aud
Is hard and translucent as porcelaiu. Thus
oystt-s, differing enormously in form aud
character, may be nut only Of the same
spc=!cs, but offspring of the same parent. the
duration of tie infant oysters free existence
beng sufficient 10 allow the members ol the
satue brool 10 be distributed over every variety
OF sta-.,utton suitable for oyster life. 1t is
true that the Southern oyster is markedly differ
eat from those prevailing between New York
Day and Cape Cod. and these frcm the still
more Northern variety: but the variations
would seem to be easily accounted 70: by differ
enucs ils temperature AMI either external contli-
tions. Northern oysters transrlanteu into Elr-
einla Waters speedily assuHse the form and 9th
e. gom.nally - ''spccltic3 textures Of the natives
II that region. In like manner, the Southern
oysters when brought to the North become
twheu they can endure the climatt) the rivals
Of the Northern natives in rmness OF flesh
and dcp1h Of body. AS 4 rule, however, they
do not maintain themselves more than single
Season in the colder Northern waters; nor do
they bear transportation to Europe or to Cali
1ornia So we'll as the oysters Of the North.
AS FOR COMPARATIVE MERIT,
that is matter which rivals the oyster itself
III deheary- In Washington or Baltimore, the
oystcr-lcaler will generously. admit that it is
quite possible to find good oysters outside Of
Chesapeake Bay, but, tor Il ''perfecL" oyster,
lc will tell you that it is useless to look to any
o1tscr locality. The Philauciplsiau is equally
sure that the estuary Of the Delaware is the
perfect OYSTERS only ho!ne,-a local prejudice
which the oy*ter-cateE of New York attributes
to deplorab.e Ignorance OF what tirsl-ratc
oyster really is- Doctors differ; and the un-
preiui:ecI can only rejoice that, anywhere be-
tween the parallels Of 81 and IL degrees North,
one may find oysters worthy OF any human
palate. Here, in New York. the fayorites are,
first and foremost, the Saddle Rorks,--a variety
which Jctseymcn Insist has been c1icrminated
these many years. They still remain, however,
not only IS direct descendants from tue colouy
abou, the original Saddle Rock, but in many
o;Ler localities in Long Island Sound;
1ur it was not 4 distinct variety that gave the
name its fame. but only all exceptional thrifty
clias.ce-sown bed OF common nativcs,-a grade
Of oyster that artificial culture easily and con
staut!y rivals Next III rank may be mentioned
the Blue Points, coming chiefly from Great
South Bay, Long Island; the same as the FORM
Ct III stock, but bred under different conditions,
mud SO differing somewhat in favor. The prod-
ucts of Shrewsbury River. \. J., probably come
II Newark Bay, Improved by development inthe
favorable waters Of the Shrewsbury; but more
.cceutly, VT are informed the seed Is commonly
1ruusht from Long Island Sound.
TwESTf YEARS AGO
he oyster business WAS carried ON at the North
;ery n1a,,c! Us It how is in more Southern wa
FRS. TIE natural beds were MerclleSsy
they still are, for that n.attcr,-
md the perpciuation Of the supply was left 1or
hc most part to accident. Occasionally man
# limited natural bed in shallow water,
would endeayor to make up for the dcfleicn-
.ics Uf Nature by the importation Of seed
rom the Hudson or elsewhere: but, fer all
hat, the supply s.eadlIy diminished. The mo-
ucnt cta1!cc-sowu bed was discovered a fleet
II drcdgcrs would gather in hot haste, and in 4
title while every obtainablc oyster would he
arri.l away. Nothing was done to rcpress the
avages of the star~lish aud Other enemies OF
be. oyster, aud its utter determination was
erjousiy threatened.
From time to time local laws were enacted |
estricting tue amount OF oysters that might be !
AIKEN by aDy one man IN one day, and forbid |
in. the working Of oyster-bcds during the su,n-
ar7 Season; but these afforded no real pTotec- |
ION to the more valuable natural beds in deep |
'ater, while the clGse time, from ~hch SO much |
;as expected. proved d hndrancc rather than |
u aiyautaae to the multiplication OF spat- One
ther Law, however, indirectly anu unwltting!y |
urnisne1 i basis for the Development o1 Amer !
nd profitable system OF oystcr-propasation the
'urld has seem To enlist her citlzcls
the work OF restoring aud preserving /
he oystcr-tcds Of the Sound, the State
I Connecticut passed al att granting to
ny resident Of the coast the privilege OF
avins surveyed aud set oil for his own use
nall area OF Suuud-beu, not already productive,
u ,ue suc condition that 1t be stocked and
cpt with oysters. immediately large number
such vlu'uls were entered, and there was
romi5e oI great renewal Ol once famous
IDS which had 0:t,n depleted BY oEerdrcdgln.
by the ravagcs Of star-tlsh. But the proullse !
WAS NOT FULFILLED.
be measures adopted for restocking the
rounds were inadequate Or useless; nothing
as done to insure the liking of spat: OF to pro-
.ct from the attaclss Of their enemies Such
,un. o@sters as c;laucr suopl1td: ant. when a
ID happcEcd to be SUCCESSFUL, It was more
kelly ~ be stripped By tAscves than TO yield q
rotil to the owner Only those who were di-
city aud constantly employed III THE business
,uld manage such property advantaGcously;
I'd gradually (anu in spite of strenuous oDpo-
tion froul those who refused to iecoE-
zc the authority Of the State to divert
individuals what had always been
'nnon r.ghU the more valuable ailot-
ents Of oyster land fell into the hands OF pro-
ssional oyster1uen.
AT the lime referred to, twenty years or so
~ there were among the oyster1nen of Nor
ak two young men, brothers, by the uane OF
ort, who held possession Of few acres of
-stes-grouud which they annually Tenlen-
led with seed brought from the HUI
II Rrw. THE young oysters, attach
to empty shells and other rubbish.
Ere usually gathered and trausu!antcd III tho
when nothing was doing IN the
gnlar oyStcr-trade. and it was repeatedly Oh
:ycd that Ia: IT IN the selson p!cntliul mop
stall younger ovsttrs had established them
Ives un Ike imported seed.
WHENCE DID THEY CONE: /!