The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-02-11
Oysters.
Oysters.
One hundred and fifty years ago there were


One hundred and fifty years ago there were
1000 oysterwomen 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
| "greening" 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 the state. The
peculiar color and taste are SAID to be impart-
ed by the vegetable substances which grow IN
the beds where the oysters are cultivated.
A resident of London, England, claims that
the city spends over S25,OOO,OOO year for
oysters, and that more than twice the number
of these bivaves would be used if they could
be obtained at as reasonable prices as in Amer.
lea. The genuine Whitestable oyster fetches
about seventy-tive or eighty cents dozen
Oyster culture in England is yet in Its infancy
Large numbers of oysters are now carried to
England from this countIp. The most popu.
lar size for eating Is in shell about as large
as a dollar They are packed in barrels very
closely, and kept right side up during the
voyage. Quite a traders now sprlnging up in
carrying seed" oysters to Europe.
Car loads of oysters are shipped to Califor
MIA from New York every few days. The
native" oy ster of that western coast is obtain
cu III tuC ulll vi SdllloIllh, diiu 10 oIoAi oi'
of coppeIy taste. There is as wide contrast
between the California blvalve and the East
ern as between a crabapple and Rhode Is
land greenlng. Something OF supply Is be
ing obtained on the Oregon or Washington
Territory coast. These are better than the
more southern.
The seaboards of Georgia. South Carolina
and Texas abound IN oysters. In some places
they have grown up into reefs extending FOL
twenty miles along the coast Much OF this
oyster wealth may yet become available FOL
Northern markets. Various river mouths and
estuaries along the Connecticut and New lork
shores weuld be most excellent oyster farms Il
some means could be provided to keep the de
posts of mud from covering and smothering
the young oysters. The time may be neal
when enterprising men will seek to clear of
these ruinous deposits as they now drain OF
marshes and fill Hp swamps and pools. The
recent law of Connecticut creating state com
mission to sell the deep-water ground OF the
sound has served to inspire great activity III
securing farms in the sea. Many thousands OF
dollars have already been realized for grounds
appropriated
The production of oysters has more than
doubled in quantity in and and about New
York harbor, Staten Island and Perth Amboy
during the past five years. 1t Is believed II
the mud could be kept out of New York har
Dor 1t would make one of the finest oyster
beds in the world.
The natural oyster beds on she east side OF
Staten Island are the places whence much Of
the "seed" for all the various famous kinds OF
oysters about New York is obtained
Science has demonstrated that oysters car
be managed SO that their spawning seasons
can be regulated, and thus good oysters be had
and eaten every week in the year. This Is ar
ranged in the Connecticut waters by planting
them in different depths of water. This Sc
secures variety in temperature. The greater
the heat the earlier the oyster will spawn
Therefore, by moving them into shoal water
in a 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 always
ready for use.-lScie'tJic american.