River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-10-07
Return Together of the TX Months
and the BrinY BiVaIye.

Mr.. james W. BOYLE is a prominent
dealer in oysters, and he assured the
reporter that the limitation of the
oyster season was largely a matter OF
prejudice. The spawning season was
in June and July. and they are not
palatable when throwing their spawn
rs ut other times. Mr.. Boyle condemns
ed the idea that they were nj all unfit
to eat in the summer, and said one OF
his customers. who had large trade
among the Jews, sold more oysters in
the summer than in winter He
thought Il better explanation Of the
decline from May to August was that
the people left the city for the country
and cut down the demand for bivalves.
After ALL the abstinence plan was good
one for the trade, and it gave the clam
a chance.
The yearly increasing legion of
oyster lovers in the city and country
viii be glad to know that the supply
for the coming season is plentiful,
though prices for large-sized oysters
viii be slightly advanced. This is ac-
counted for by the growing shipments
to Europe, which are wholly composed
of little, or ''seed" oysters. There is no
demand for larger ones across the wa
ter, and there has been a heavy drain
upon the older beds the last two years
for home consumption, while thou
sands of barrels were sent abroad that
would otherwise have been left to grow.
However, the difference between this
and last seasons prices will be very
small. The largest bivalTes, which are
still called Saddle Rocks, by courtesy,
will be worth from SO to $50 Il thou
sand. Saddle rock is the east river be-
yOnd Hell gate, and the oyster beds
there are exhausted pretty nearly
while those that bear their title are
blue Points, from Great South bay,
Long Island. Even Blue points are
mainly transplants from the east and
Hudson rivers and from Virginia, but
all are classed under one name when
they are taken up for the market.
BOX" oysters, which are nextin size to
the Saddle Rocks, will cost from IS to
so per thousand, and "gallon" oysters,
rs they call the little ones that are sold
by the gallon, VIII range in price from
50 80 to s..
The astounding growth of the oyster
trade moves even those who are watch
ing it with surprise. 1t would make
our revolutionary ancestors turn iii
their graves if they could find out what
they missed. The oysters slept undis-
turbed until two fishermen brought
boat load from one of the Staten island
inlets to COentles slip. 1t took some
time to convicc people they were good
to eat; but the next lot went off faster.
BY and by diminutiye little oysters
houses were opened, with red lights
before them at night, which found
their patronage among the few and
were entertained with prejudice by the
many They were designated as "dives"
by good lyers; but what a change has
come over their stomachsl BY slow
degrees Mt first and last by rapid strides
the trade pushed itself to immense pro-
portions. 1t is calculated that the
value of the oyster sales for the pres
ent year will reach to about the follow
ing figures:
New York. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. $50 900 600
Tmsaelphla. P'o0 0 'o o"o
Norfolk, Va. ........-.....-... 5,OO0O00
Elsewhere in the United States. ...... 5O0O00
Total. Observation-Disclosures. 900 600
Until now Baltimo ores trade in oyst-
ers has surpassed that of New York,
but ours is expected to rank first this
year. New York does very little can
ming or packing; Baltimore does little
else The means for transporting fresh
biyalves have improved so fast that
canned oysters are on the decline. A
gentleman who recently returned from
the west assured the reporter that fresh
oysters are everywhere taking the the
place of canned ones. In Buffalo, for
instance, he met a dealer who used to
sell three hundred cases Of the canned
article, while last year he disposed of
but three cases. In Baltimore thou
sands of people are employed in the
business of canning during the months
Of October, November, and December.
They deal inVmginia oysters altogether
which are giving place in popular
favor to the strongered favored bival-
YES from New York The summer
trade here is confined almost exclu-
sively Ia Virginia oysters, which hold
their spawn better than our native
oysters.