Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-09-13
BILLIONS OF BIVALVES.
AN INTERESriNG CHAPTER ON
OYSTERS.

That most delicious luxury, the oyster, has
within the past week made its first appearance
in this city for the season, which runs gener-
ally from September to March |. OF course.
oysters are eaten here earlier than the time
named, and a few later than the first OF
March. One dealer in this city had 6ne oys-
'ers on sale here all summer, but
they were not eaten by
Springfield people. All that were sold were
sold to strangers, mostly travelling men. The
people OF this city have not as yet become
educated to eating oysters in summer. This
dealer says: at is a strange characteristic of
the Springfield people. Why have handled
oysters for years, and this is the first town
ever struck where | could not sell oysters
every month in the year"
While hundreds OF people sit around the
tables at an oyster parlor and "get away"
with the New York Counts or Blue Point
'raws," "stews' or "irys" they little think
that If companion should ask them
anything about an oyster they
could tell them little if any
thing about this popular article of food.
little history, therefore, OF the oyster will
be interesting to those above referred to.
The oyster is enclosed in two valves, uu.
equal in size and different in shape. The left
valve is larger, and on it the animal rests in
its natural state. The right valve is fiat and
thinner, and the right side OF the animal is
vhat
erative organs OF the oyster consist
Of system Of branch cavities on
each side OF the body, lying beneath
the surface. All the cavities are ultimately
in communication with an etierent duet OPEN
ing on the surface OF the body. At the end
of fortnight the embryo escape from the
cavity aud swim about near the surface of
the water. The larve are extremely minute,
about l-l5o Of an inch long, and of CLASSY
transparency, except in one or two spots,
which are dark brown. Ultimately they
sink to the bottom and fix
themselves to shells or stones
and take the appearance OF an
oyster. These animals live to be twenty
years old, 30 that some Of our citizens who
''go on so" about how tender their oysters are
may just nourish the gentle reflection that all
the bivslves they eat are not spring chick
ens.' The dealers and packers have way OF
fixing up the oyster before it is soldered up
in the can, by which they keep
longer, snd are more tender, al
though they have more brsckish
taste. The oysters are all placed in car,
which is run into large steam chest. The
chest is closed up and the steam turned on.
They are kept there about fifteen minutes
and then put into the cans. Before the lid is
placed on the can it is put into another steam
chest and there steamed again. The cans are
then soldered and placed on ice, where they
are kept until ready for shipment
The oyster industry is situated chiefly in
the United States and France. In the nited
States it 10 the most extensive of the fishery
INDUSTRIES OF the country, yielding products
three times as valuable as that OF the cod and
siI times that of the whale. In 1850 it en-
Floyed 52,S0j persons and yielded %, 90, 80
bushels, worth to the fisherman $9,O34. SCI .
The value of the capital invested is returned
at $40, $3.50, 295. Four thousand one hundred
and ftty-hve vessels, valued at s3,529, 700,
and ! 1880 boats are employee The actual
number Of fishermen is 3s, 249, and shoremen
1886. Fully 80 per cent of the yield is OBJ
tained from the waters of the Chesapeake
Bay. The following IS rough estimate of
the total number Of oysters obtained
annually from the sea United States, b,55O,-
900 oo0i Canada, 20, 900, 900; France, ESQ.,
1000 Great Britain, 600 600, 900 Holland,
2l,soo,0OOi Italy, 100000; Germany,
4,OoO,oOoi Belgium. 100000; Spain, l.
100000; Portugal, 500 900; Denmark, 200.
600; Russia, 100000; Norway, 25OOs;
total, 9O3,200,000. 1t 10 estimated that for
every oyster brought to market ,O45, 900 are
destroyed or die.
Another feature of the oyster business
sustans the old saying that "there
are tricks in all trades" Many of the
oysters brought to market "nice and plump
would not fit in shell twice the size OF the
one from which they were taken. This is
owing TO process called "plumping," which
consists OF exposing the oyster to the effects
OF water fresher than that in which they live.
This puts the Oyster up and makes il look
much larger than it really is, bu, it takes
away the delicious flavor.
A GEoBE. REPUBLIC reporter after gaining
the above facts, set out to see what proportion
OF the immense number OF oysters csught
were eaten 10 this city. The first dealer WIS.,
tied said:
ave opened about a week ago and have
had iine oyster trade so far. Last season
cooked over 200 gallons of oysters tor my
customers, and from present indications will
have nearly double the trade this season.
| suspect there are fully $4,000
gallons OF oysters eaten in Springfield during
the season. Two-thirds Of them are "stews, u
and hal OF the remainder 'raws."
Another restaraunter said: "It is too early
to tell how the oyster supply will "pan out, "
but in Springfield the demand will be twice
As large as last season. People will have
more money to spend and they will buy oys-
ters because they are cheaper than meat
have the word Of gentleman
who furnishes all the large manufacturers
here with certain material that from the
amount he has already sold, Springfield will
see the best winter that she has seen for
many year. So that | am making biz
preparations for the oyster trade, and yor
will see tha, an not disappointed. expect
there will be 10000 gallons of oyst,rs eaten