, 1886-10-08
THE OYSTER AND HIS LIFE.


o"scrshtions on the Habits of the
Luscious Observation-Disclosures
Of all the vast army of oys~ter-eaters
but very few give any thought to the
cultivation of this shell-fish or ever stop
to consider what an important industry
1t is. 1t requires the investment of
millions of dollars of capital and the en-
ployment of thousands of men, and is a
business that is constantly and rapidly
increasing. From a purely local trade
1t has grown to enormous dimensions,
and to-day the markets of the Atlantic
coast ship extensively to Europe, Cali
fornia and all the cities of this country.
Tn principal oyster marts of the coun-
try are at Boston, Providence, New
Haven, New York. Philadelphia, Balti-
more, Cristield and Norfolk.
Large quantities of oysters are brought
every spring from Chesapeake bay to
the north and planted here. The reason
FOR this transplanting is that oysters in
Chesapeake bay are very cheap, and
even after adding the cost of transport
ing and planting the northern dealers
can sell them at a profit for a lower
price thar the native oyster. They are
very hardy. thrive well here and the
ordinary oyster-eater can not tell the
difference between them and the ma
tives.
One peculiar feature is that oysters
transplanted to waters where there is a
marked change in temperature will
thrive well enough, but will not propa-
gate. Thus, oysters from our Atlantic
coast when put into English waters, or
even in the Pacific at California, will not
spawn, nor will Chesapeake bay oysters
spawn in Long Island sound, but oysters
from the sound will propagate in New
York harbor and surrounding waters.
To cleanse the oyster as well as to
freshen and fatten it, the planter takes
it near where a clear, pure stream Of
fresh water empties into the salt water
and lets them remain there over one
tide. The oyster fattens quickly; and
a few hours in fresh water will serve to
make the poorest oyster plump and solid,
and purge it of impurities which it may
have absorbed. An oyster will grow
hin more quickly than it can be fat
tened, and it is very sensitive to sudden
changes or shocks. A heavy thunder
clap will kill an entire boat load and the
approach of a boat to an oyster bed will
cause each oyster to close his shell. An
oyster can not see, and this knowledge
of any outside influence or pressure can
only be attributed to its remarkable sensi-
tiveness. A sudden cold storm will
make a fat oyster thin in a very short
time.
Oysters spawn at different seasons
taking on fat rapidly. A planter under
standing the business, having beds To-
Gated in various depths of water. may
have oysters in proper condition for the
table the year round, a few feet in
depth fastening or p%rolonging the
spawning period one or two weeks.
The spawn of oysters make a thick,
cloudy appearance in the water, which
is scattered far and wide unless the
spat find some body to which it can at
attach itself. Last season a lot of spat
was carried by the currents and tides
from the spawning beds on the Con-
necticut coast to the north shore of
Long island, where they lodged on the
gravel of a beach, where they were after
ward discovered, taken up and planted
in the private beds of planters i'll that
section.
That oysters can be grown in different
shapes is a well-known fact to planters.
Planted thickly on a muddy bottom they
will grow long and thin. while planted
thinly on d hard or gravelly bottom they
will grow round and thick. and one can
thus have his oysters shaped according
to his taste.
Dealers and people who know say that
for mere purposes of eating the oyster is
just as good during May and June as at
any other time. though it is currently
believed that the oyster does not share
these sentiments. Any one who has
eaten them fresh from the waters on a
summer morning will always believe
that the oysters desire for seclusion is
due simply to laziness and a wish to
sneak out of what is his proper work. -
New York World.