The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1882-09-02
HERE WE R,
ExCLArms THE LUSCIOUS OYSTER,

ENCLAlMS THE LuSClOoo io'E"j
Az He Drops In ON the Half Shell
Again. beginning of the Regular
Oyster Seasonal Few scientific
Facts Concerning the Oyster Bird
And n chat with An Expert Con-
corning their Manners and GUS
tOms-The Immense Trnnlc In Oys-
ters nj Home and Abroad-Tbere's
Millions In 'em.
Several days ago, In a lengthy publication,
THE CRITIC heraldcd the coming OF the oyster
season and furnished some interesting facts in
connection Herewith, but said nothing OF the
origin, history or previous condition OF tho
tooihsome bivalyc, and nothing concerning
the oysters mode OF living, growing and fat
tenlng. Those facts being rather on tho sci
entlnc order 1t has required a little time to
prepare n correct and readable statement
under that head.
The oysters Identity.
owing to the inchoato state of science the
oyster was for n long time unassigned to
either the vegetable or animal kingdoms; he
was totally an outsider, without origin or
parentage, an unclassined nondescrlpt. Ac-
cordlng TO treatise prepared some time ago
by John \. King, NJ. d., OF this city, Plat, Plato
nothing" OF creation and taught that all
ignorant people wcro Transformed into them
waters Of the globe, his only associates were
the star fishes and CLANS. over these the
oyster claims superiority, feeling well as
surcd that no is held In the highest ostlmo-
tlon alike by the ignorant, learned, lowly and
arlstocratic of the land; indeed, universally
How oysters are Born.
"Like some people," says DR.. King, 'tho
oyster Is Of amazing fecundity. single 70.
male oyster Will lay millions OF eggs, from one
TO two millions, and most striking resent
blance between oysters and the human popu-
latiOn Is the excess OF female oysters over
males. Tho Sex of the oyster Is as decided
and cognizable as in animals OF other organi-
cation. when the female oyster elects her
eggs, they rise to the surface OF the water and
come In contact with the simultaneously drift.
ing, fructifying secretion OF the male. Imme.
diately upon this contact of the female oya
and the yivifying male secretion they-the
ova--attach themselves to any object that may
present ait isel Upon this they remain "d
How They Grow.
The young oyster, when month old, Is the
size of large pea. They average one-halfinch
In growth every two months. AT six months
the oyster Is an inch or more In length; at
three years he has attained his usual full size,
the same we see in the markets. The shells of
oysters appear to be n series of shells overlap
ping each other like tiles. Each layer repre-
sents years growth, and the whole series in
dictate the number OF years the oyster has
lived. The capabllity OF the oyster to repair
his shell II partially broken or destroyed is
well known, though requiring longer time
than the crustacea, the crab, for example.
The oyster has regular habits; he eats regti-
larry twice In twenty-four hours upon the
Hood or incoming tide, and Immediately there
after betakes himself to meditation and post
prandial siesta.
An Experts Views on the oyster.
In conversation to-day with Mr.. G. W. Harvey
(of Harvey a. Holden, the pioneers OF the oys-
tor tradc,) THE CRITIC was furnished with some
interesting facts. Mr.. Harvey has made the
n lifelong ".
than when converslng In a scientific sense of
his fayorites. He entered the oyster business
with II. NJ. Harvey In 1859, and has followed
II ever since. Caught In good humor to-day,he
talked freely. He said that from the great pro.
Efficacy Of the female oyster, 1t might readily
BIO inferred that the increase would far exceed
the demands. In the Chesapeake, as In all the
oyster waters of this country, the Increase is
altogether from tho natural beds, where the
ova and young cannot be. protected. In the
deep water the temperature Is often too cold
for development of the ova, and, even when
developed, many of the delicate spats perish.
Planted oysters are not allowed to remain UNI
disturbed sufficient length OF time to enable
them to breed
In the Most Favorable Breeding
Grounds,
as in Tangier's Sound, the beds grow to such
thickness that the underlying oysters are
destroyed by the superintendent weight of
the accumulations. oysters Will not survive
for any long time when covered with sand,
mud, or any other matter; and sometimes, by
the change of current or from disturbance OF
the bottom by violent storms, extensive oyster
beds are covered by sand and destroyed. Tho
young oysters, when they accumulate so
rapidly, as In the case In Tangier's Sound,
add a stratum yearly to the natural beds and
corresponding stratum underneath must
perish. The increase is, therefore, only In
| the extension OF the superficial area occupied
by the beds. Half n century ago the bottom OF
| the Chesapeake was interspersed with numer.
Gus isolated oyster beds OF small extent and
| great thickness, but dredging has so scattered
| them that they now form almost continuous
| bed, covering the whole.
Varieties of Oysters.
Speaking OF the varieties OF oysters, Mr..
| Harvey said that he could not give them nu-
| merically, but he thought that there were about
| thirty varieties IN the Chesapeake alone. Some
| have been imported from the Atlantic coast
| and others from the Southern rivers as plants,
| but most OF them are indigenous. Those in
the deep waters Of the bay differ from such as
| are on the shoals, and tho same variety Is not
| unfrequently found in two rivers, however
| near their entrance into the bay. oysters are
found In most Of the saline waters of the globe,
| where tides How and ebb, except In tho OK
| treme OF temperature, but they attain condl-
| tion OF perfection as regards size and quality
only in the waters OF temperate and semi.
| tropical climates. oysters, as regards both
| growth and quality, are influenced by the con.
dition OF tho water In which they oxist. Those
on the Atlantic coast, In the nnmitigated salt
use, while In the neighboring bays and at the
| mouths OF the rivers, where the outgoing fresh
water mingles with that OF the sea, the oyster
atalns Its greatest size and best flavor.
The Chesapeake Bay
and Its tributaries, Mr.. Harvey added, afford
the most favorable conditions for the natural
growth OF the oyster, as well as all needful
facilities for its artificial propagation and cul.
ture. From Its waters is obtained a majority
OF the oysters cultivated and consumed on the
American Continent. Al the North, where, on
account Of the thickness of the ice in the win
| ter, the oysters are not obtained, they are car
| ried from the Chesapeake. There are other
localities that produce superior oysters,
though only in part native 70 the places, VIZ,
| tho bays OF New York, New Haven and Proyl
dencc, Birds Island ana Hog Island, the st
Charles and Mystic rivers, Blue Point, on Long
Island Sound; Princes Bay, East River, Harlem
and Shrewsbury rivers and Saddle Rocks, the
Jersey coast, chiefly from MIX Pond and Abse-
com beach; but the Chesapeake Is the great
natural reservoir and home for the excellence
OF the oyster.
II is claimed that the best planting grounds,
| all things considered, are found In Tanglei
Sound, Pocomoke River, Cherrystono and Deco
hannoc Greeks, York River, Rappahannocl
and Milford Raven, portion OF the bay oppo
site the County OF Dorchester and of Somerse
Nd, and marked OFF by a chain OF Islands from
Dorchester Hook 10 Crisneld. The boundaries
OF the planting lots are determined from
stakes or small evergreen trees, firmly secured
| IN the mud at the corners. These fragile
corner marks are strictly respected by tn
neighbors, and case OF trespass rarely occurs
A