Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-03-10
WHOLE NO. 11OS.
About Oysters.

One hundred and fifty years ago
there were four thousand oyster womsn
in Paris, who pursued their business
with much zeal and dexterity.
The "green" oyster, so much priced
in France, will not sell in our markets.
The ''sreening' of oysters is extensively
carried on at Marennes, on the banks Of
the river Seudre; and this particular
branch of oyster industry extends for
leagues along the river, and is also
sanctioned by free grants from tho
State. The peculiar color and taste are
said to be impaired by the vegetable
substance which grows in the beds
where the oysters are cultivated.
A resident of London, ENGLAND,
claims that that city spends over S25,-
100000 year for oysters, and that
more than twice the number of these
bivalves would be used if they could be
obtained at as reasonable prices as in
America. The genuine Whitestable
oyster fetches about seventy-6ve or
eighty cents dozen. Oyster culture
in England is yet In its infancy. Large
numbers of oysters are now carried 70
England from this country. The most.
popular size for eating is in q sheIi.
about as large as dollar. They ars
packed in barrels very closely and kent
right side up during the voyage. Quite
trade is now springing up in carrying
''seed" oysters to Europe. -
Car loads of oysters are shipped to
California from New York every few
days. The "native" oyster of that
Western coast is obtained in the Gulf,
of California, and is small and OF COP
perry taste. There is as wide q con-
trast between the California bivalve and
the Eastern as between q crab-apple
and Rhode Island greening. Some
thing of a supply is being obtained on
the Oregon or Washington Territory
coast. These are better than the more
southern. s7I
The seaboards of Georgia, South Car.
olina, and Texas abound in oysters. In
some places they have grown up into
reefs extending for twenty miles along
the coast. Much of this oyster wealth
may yet become available for Northern
markets. Various river mouths and
cstuaries along the Connecticut and
New York shores would be most excel
lent oyster farms, If some means could
be provided to keep the deposits Of mud
from covering and smothering the young
oyster. The time may be near when en-.
,terprising men will seek to clear OF
fuinous deposits as they now drain
marshes and fill up swamps and pools.
The recent law of Connecticut creating
State Commi ,sion to sell the deep VA
ter ground of the Sound has served to
inspire great activity in securing farms
in the sea. Many thousands Of dollars
have already been realized for grounds
appropriated. 4.,.-, r gsgft 3
The production of oysters has more
than doubled in quantity In and about
New York Harbor, Staten Island, and
Perth Amboy during the past FIVE years.
It Is believed il the mud could be kept
out of New York Harbor It would make
one of the finest oyster beds In the
world.
The natural oyster beds ON the east
side of Staten Island are the places
whence much of the "seed" for al the
various famous kinds of oysters about
New York is obtained. -
1t is believed by some that every evil
has Its antidotc. Every pest, sooner or
later. can be met by something that win
subdue or check it. The potato bug
ravaged few years, and then Paris
green came into use, 50 that they arc no
longer feared. He would be . benefac-
tor, indeed, who should discover some
cheap and efficient means Of stopping
the ravages Of sstars" and s'drills" on
oyster beds. Every oyster cultivatOr
says: "Tell us, if possible, how to fight
these pests.' Here Is field for . SCI
entific scholar. So far it seems to be
understood that stars find their homes
and breeding places among rocks and
reefs. They move out from these upon
oyster beds. 1t has been discovered
that dead ''stars' are good means Of
enriching land. They are capitalthings
to put on the garden. They ruin, oyster
beds, but enrich vegetable beds. Prot.
Verrill, of Yale College, says the ''star''
takes the small oysters into his stomach
whole, shell and all but the larger Qnss
he kills before eating. He does this BY
surrounding the oyster with the lobes
and folds of his enormous saCcular
stomach. The gastrice juice from 1t is
infused into the shell and kills the oys-
ter, so that the bivalve opens and Il
soon consumed by the rapacious '.fiye
finger" The only way yet discovered
to destroy this enemy ID to dredge them
off the beds and throw them on the
land.
Science has demonstrated that oysters
can be so managed that their spawning
seasons can be regulated, and thus good
oysters be had and eaten every week in
the year. This is arranged in the Con-
necticut waters by planting them in dif-
ferent depths of water. This secures
variety In temperature. The greater
the heat the earlier the oystiss VIII
spawn. Therefore moving them into
shoal water in sheltered place where
the sun will warm the water easily the
spawning season will be over in early
summer. Those in the deeper and colder
water will, of course, feel the heat later,
and therefore spawn later. Thus one
portion of the oyster supply can be al
ways ready for uss.--Seiens56c Anse-i-