Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-03-13

Oysssrs in the shell are Eos SOLO IN
this city by the pound at cents Az
this rate a buckesfui would fetch
alnos; or quite a dollar. For over
twenty years they sold at y cents q
bucke,tul and were stten a drug on the
market At that. The chanRe&o dollar
10 startling to old settlers. Ihe Old
price IN too lov TO enable dealers TO get
a fair profit in the business, the new
price ia entirely too high. The cnanRe
has been wrought during the past foof
years, and has been caused by the CON
bined increase Of population and e1-
hausslon of supply. The population
viii continue 10 increase a. rapidly Ia
the future AZ in tue past, and the supply
will continue 70 exhaust, and prices 70
III until the delicious and heAltnfoi Oh
valve is out Of the reach u all bCt NIL
llonaires. Only one way OF preventing
a future oyster famine can De suggested
and that ~ cultivation. lie ofste! Is
indigenous to .he country. As known
here. It il small, though good. Care and
cultivation Will cause them 10 develop
until they attain a size and PERFECTION
equal to those of ally part OF the world.
OYSTERS are nos imported all the way
from the Atlantic ssaboard, and are
sold at prices thai pat them among the
rarest and most costly dehcaeies-
Efforts have been made ia the past 70
cultivate the oyster, aud they have been
attended with success, bat were not sys-
tenaticaliy followed up. Fortunes await
a score Of mel who will go at II right,
and make Of it a permanent business,
The conditions are as favorable here AZ
on Long Island SQUAD or Chesapeake
BAY, while the market, comprising the
whole Pacific Slope, il the best IN the
United States.
In this connection We reproduce the
following from Providence paper:
The o. ster In its native state seeks nc
particular place for its home, bat grows
wherever ii finds some substance on the
bottom Of the river to rest on and cling
to. In its infancy il IL called seed,
next in its youth It IL called plant,
and later, or whsn two or three year,
old, il becomes a regular oyster, and
according to il sizes receives different
| names, appropriate for the uses fol-
which they are intended such as plant
ers." half Shelters" ''Ioasters," and
'.stewers.'' The fancy" and box
oysters are those culled ont or selected
on accoun. of their size, and are usually
shipped III the shell. they are high il
price, bringing ~ a barrel. aud are iI
good demand. The native oyster in it
natural state was, and In fact is now
stronger in taste than its cultivated
| brother, and does not have That delicacy
of taste which epicures 80 delight in
The native oyster also did not propA
gate rapidly enough to supply the de
mand. and the dealers we're forced +
commence the cultivation of the fish
and this led to the leasing of beds ant
planting seed upon them. There are |
very large number Of these beds, rang
ing in size from to 100 acres. Tot
largest number Of acres leased by an,
one firm Ia 225, and from these are year
ly taken 10000 bushels of oysters. Ih'
cost of the best are 80 per acre, ant
then they ara planted with from 1000 h
ZOO bushels of seed every year. the sect
costing from 90 cents to 81 per bushel
Some of this Is Virginia seed. but th
majority IL natural, and grows Ia an,
around the harbors, rivers and SINAI
bays leading into the Naragansett, a
we'll as In the bay itself. Deed plante'
in the spring becomes fit for market tn
following fall and winter, while Sec,
put on the beds in the fall. by a yea
from the next winter become fame
oysters.