The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-09-14

protect it from the ravages of the star fish,
drill and other enemies that in some years
cause great loss.
1.-THE Connecticut laws reserve as public
grounds all oyster beds within mile Of
the main land, and any resident of the state
may gather shell fish upon these grounds
Private beds extend out into Long Island
sound for ten miles. and large feet Of
small steamers is kept constantly at work
upon them the year round. Twenty-Five
years ago the shells were thrown away or
used in the building Of wharves or roads;
now these shells are deposited on the beds
from which older oysters have been re-
moved. In a short time the oyster spat
will have attached itself to the she'll surface
and become visible to the naked eye. In a
year or two the young bivalves will be
large enough TO be changed 10 other beds.
The dredgers begin their operations on the
older stock in the fall. and then the grower
reaps his harvest. Beginning at this time
of the year the whole force of steamers
again tackle the common enemy The
oysters are taken up in dredges, culled
over, all the stars, drills and wrinkles picked
out by hand and the oysters, if not ready
for market, are put back on new ground.
Oysters grow to marketable size in
three or four years, but this is determined
by foreign or home consumption. English
people prefer a larger oyster than Ameri-
can epicures, and as a rule the latter are
dainty in the matter of breed. The Sound,
Princess bay, Shrewsbury, RGritan river,
Norwalk, Rockaway and other well known
varieties have flavor peculiar to the To-
cality, but the variety most favored is the
Blue Point Seed oysters are largely
brought from Virginia and planted in the
great beds on the Jersey, Connecticut and
New York shores, and millions of bushels
eventually find their way to the New York
markets.
IF you want 70 look upon lively scene"
continued the speaker, visit the great
group of oyster bargeS on the North river.
A barge is about 100 feet long and 40 feet
wide, and is connected with the bank by
movable platform that rises and falls with
the tide The oyster openers sit around
the walls, taking their supply from baskets
of counted oysters and opening them with
a dexterity and rapidity that is surprising
10 one who has never seen the operation.
The men are paid by the thousand, and an
expert will open six or seven thousand
day. Some stab, others crack the oyster,
and it is said of the women openers in
Fair Haven, Conn, that they can keep
shell flying in the air all the time and
throw an oyster from the point Of a knife
through a knothole or into the mouth of a
person four feet distant. When a pailful
i opened it is taken 20 one corner, the con-
tents poured into gigantic tin colander,
and the water and juice allowed 10 drain
off. They are then washed in fresh waite
and poured directly into a tub for ship
ment.
These are sent all over the country, San
Francisco taking them 10y carloads; Mil
waukee, Chicago, Kansas City, Detroit,
st. Louis and other distributing points alb
sorbing them also in large quantities, both
opened and in the shell We divide the
oysters into three grades-extra, large and
culls The first are used 10 fry. the next
for restaurant stews and the third for
church fair oyster suppers. A good many
people think that extra large oysters are
necessarily the best, but l prefer the small