The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-11-23
THE MoLLUsCoUs OYSTER.
A Most Delicious Bivalve. and HIS
Growth In Trade
THE IMMENSE QUANTITY HANDLED IN BOSTON,
PLANTING IN THE NORTH AND DREDGING IN
THE SOUTH.
Ieosion Herald.l

estimates The estimates OF the prominent
men In the oyster trade vary considerably
concerning the total quantity OF oys-
tiers received here each season. but,
taking these estimates together, ana
taking into consideration positive quaint
ties known 10 be received, an approxima'
ton Is ob,aiped which will probably come
not many thousand bushels out OF the way.
Counting all the oysters received here from
Maryland and Virginia in bags by The Nor.
folk and Baltimore steamers, the total
Providence-riyer plant. the Connecticut,
Massachusetts,, and Long Island plants, and,
more than all, the oysters received here by
the oyster fect-countiDg all these oysters.
the total quantity OF oysters in the she'll
which " III reach Boston from September 1,
1880. TO June !, 1881, cannot be less than
100000 bushels, aggregating at least
$4,000.
TIE PLANT or OYSTERS
in Providence river OF two firms In Boston
this year amounts 10 90, DOC bushels; pro0a-
bly, the whole plant from Boston trms can
not amount 10 less than 10000 bushels.
The first 0ystei-vessel OF The season arrived
here Sunday the 14tb, aud it is but the first
Of at least thirty vessels which will make
the season between this city and the south
oyster.yesseIs is about 3.3e0 bushels, and,
calculating for all delays from bad weather
and other causes, the number OF tips these
vessel, will make on the average will be six
each for The season. This estimate for the
thirty vessels would land $50 cargoes
OF oysters at Boston wharyes OF $500 bush
els OF oysters 10 the cargo, or total OF 59l,-
600 bushels OF southern oysters by sailing
vessels alone. Then we must also take into
the account vast quantity OF oysters re-
ceiyed bere Ia barrels, ready shucked, from
Norfolk and The various ports on The Chesa'
Deake bay and other southern ports. When
we come to consider that one firm alone
brought last season nearly 1000 gallons per
week from Oxford, Nd, or total OF at
least 1OO,0O0 gallons. and then, reckoning
that there are at least eight houses doing
large oyster business in Boston, we find
that we must place our estimate at 1,0O0,-
600 gallons at least Of shucked oysters
ought TO Boston market last year. The
total value OF this aggregate OF oysters 10
the trade could not have been less IMAM
Sl,500 900. Adding 10 this aggregate oil
dollars the estimated value oil the oysters
received here in the shell, and we pave
total Of s2.300,000 for the value OF The oys-
ter trade Of Boston last year. Our estimate
OF this trade can hardly be too large, Tor we
have still In reserve and uDestimated all lbe
oysters received ty The smaller houses, over
add above The eight principal ones, OF when
there ale great many, and some receiving
as many as nifty gallons OF shucked oysters
per week.
This BOSTON OYSTER TRADE
10 a growing one, and one so rapid IN lis
growth thst one or two houses here are DO
ing nearly double The business OF last year,
and nearly all are doing considerably mole.
This Is partly owing to the general improve
ment In trade and partly TO The growth OF
the oyster business in New England and
eastern Canada. Considering this increase,
together with eur estimate for last year, it
IL not unreasonable to estimate the oyster
business OF the present season asOne which
will aggregate 80. 5000 But the oyster
trade of our city, respectable though ii may
be. considering the short time in which II
has grown up and the amount OF New Eng
land prejudice which has had TO be OUT
grown, is only a fraction OF the vast trade
of the country in these edible sbelinsh.
The great oyster marts OF this country,
and we might as well say OF the world, are
New York and Baltimore. New YORK alone
dees an annual oyster business OF 5,OOO,-
600 or $50. 900 900, while that OF Baltimore
is enormous. Indeed the great oyster in
terest OF our seacoast and tiGe-water rivers
has become Of such importance as to re-
auire good deal of special legislation from
the States owning the oyster waters. In
the Providence river, and the various oys.
ter waters IN Rhode Island and Connecti'
cut. all the oyster-beds 10 and about the
Chesapeake bay, at Norfolk and further
south, The "oyster. fields are all leased OF
owned by those who make the cultivation
OF the oyster a business. In the best
parts Of these oyster localities, The
beds are considered OF such value
that long and costly lawsuits have grown
out OF real and pretended rights TO
them. Ia several Of the States where the
oyster aboupds naturally, or its cultivation
can be successfully carried on, the lands OIL
riyer.beds are leased from the State at so
much per acre. In Providence river the
price Is $40 per acre per year. This sum Is
paid by several Boston firms, but moi to the
State OF Rhode Island direct, for this could
not. be done, The statutes OF that State
provide that only the citizens OF the State
can lease The river bottoms where the oyster
tbrlyes, hence Boston man is barred by
statute, but an agent dwelling 10 that little
State can easily be obtained, and he can
lease the oyster.fsts himself and sell his oys'
tiers TO whomsoever be chooses. Boston
capital does o vast amount Of planting and
dredging every season 10 the Providence
river, 10 spite Of the narrow policy OF that
narrow State.
Here II may be well TO meution
CURIOUS PACT,
not generally known 10 the world outside Of
the oyster trade, and that is that nearly all
Of the oysters known as "Proyideuee
rivers" are simply oysters from the Cbesa.
peake bay, planted IN that river In the
spring and raked out in the fall and carried
to market. There are northern native oys.
iers. 10 be sure, aud they are found 10 the
Providence riyer, but the continuous rskIDg
Of the beds has practically exterminsted
them long ago, although they are
cultivated 10 various sections OF Rhode
lsland and Connecticut, and sold a.
counter oystsrs 10 Boston and else.
where. hut the two oysters are dis.
nuct g1lielies-cpe called, 10 scientific
WORKS. the yrktpia oyster, the other the
northern OF New York oyster. TIE yir.
&Inia oyster cannot sufysvx the northern
y winter even 10 the Proyitience river. and
pence BE must b. brought there and plsnied
tvcgy oQrteR end hxryeetod every fail. nm.