The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-01-22
OYSTER AND FRUIT
Profitable Products of
Alameda County.
Cultivation of the Succulent Bivalves
on the Eastern Shore of San Fran
cisco Bay-Fair Exhibit.
Correspondence OF THE MORNING CALL

The many varied and growing in
dustries which are alive about the shore
of our bay are brought TO our attention
from time to time.
Beginning at Oakland and going south.
works. great bank of molding sand,
the sugar factory. salt works and oyster
beds, all within a shore line not more
than twenty miles long.
How many people eating California
oysters, or the Eastern transplanted,
know where they are grown ? The eastern
shores Of the bay are marsh lands from
half mile to three. four and even five
miles wide. These are the great feeding
grounds of the thousands of fiocks of
ducks and geese on their southern trips.
and, OF course, are covered with hunters
in the season. who make use of the
numerous slOughs to sail or row from the
mainland to the hunting grounds. Several
of these sloughs are broad and deep. have
clear channel and are used for COM
mercIal purposes. Sailing out the tortu-
GUS channel OF the slough leading to
Jarvis Landing. one comes out almost
directly opposite the oyster beds. or banks,
lying some three miles out in the bay
| half way. nearly to the western shore.
For miles up and down each side of the
mouth OF the slough, extending out into
the bay, are immense she'll banks. which
carefully examined proved to be composed
of the true oyster shell, but of minute
size. There is every reason to believe
that these shell banks extend over a goodly
portion of the southern end of the bay. so
naturally these waters are particularly
adapted to the propagation of the oyster.
The waters are shallow. muddy and well
stocked with animal and vege:ab BILE food de-
manded by the oyster.
Half hundred men are constantly en-
ployed. and for their accommodation float
Ing houses are built, foaters are anchored,
there is naphtha launch. sand all the nec-
essary boats and fishing utensils. and what
is of more interest, artesiaD wells have
been sunk and are most successful. The
last we'll was completed last week, and is
beautiful sight. The pipe is nine inches
IN diameter, rises some eight feet above
the water, and out of it rushes an immense
volume Of water, falling in perfect cir
Gle to the waters OF the bay.
1t has been believed for years that the
artesian wells at Alvarado belonging 10
the grangers aud recently purchased by
the city OF Oakland. have had their source
of supplies from the mountains about
full boring of these wells on the oyster
banks there is a general belief that the
wells are all fed from the same source,
and that is the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Oyster culture here is essentially the
same as in the East The bivalves grow
to very large size and by very many are
considered equal in flavor to the finest
Eastern oyster.
Our local weather prophet in Lvermore
seems TO be very much more correct in his
weather predictions than is Mr.. Pague,
end although on top Of this last week s
| storm be promises more rain il is all well
come to the farmer, the fruit-grower
especially. Nearly eleven inches has fallen
! up to date, a little less than last season at
the Same date. Probably half of the rain
! fall for the entire year has already fallen,
which means that half of our winter is
gone, leaving but half a winter for our
! Midwinter Fair visitors to enjoy.
| 1t is an unfortunate thing for Alameda
County that 80 very little interest is being
! taken by the county at large. There will
| be large number of splendid individual
displays from wineries and factories, etc,
but no collective fruit display whatever
In fact, such thing is impossible. The
plans for dried-fruit displays were made
so late last season that no fruit was left
to use. Again, the crop was poor last year
in quantity and quality and so the country
generally will probably be content TO be
represented by the leftover Chicago dis
play. Flowers, grains, berries and yege-
tables can all be displayed in the spring,
but our earliest fruits do not ripen. ex-
cept cherries, until the last of June, SO
cherries are the only fruits that can make
any showing for US.
Olive picking is about over. There has
been very large crop, the prices for
which have been from TO cents pound
in the market. MRS. j. E. THANE.
Jan. q. 1894
Granite is the bedrock of the world. be.