The morning times., 1896-12-14
CAUSE OF RED OYSTERS
Handlers of the Biyalves Differ in
Their Explanations.
DiscoiOration Not Believed to Affect
the Flavor, But 1t Has Inter-
fered With the Sale of Stock.

Since the opening OF the oyster-dredging
season this year the drcdgers and general
handlers OF oysters have been caused
much annoyance by the prevalence OF
what is known among oysternen as the
red, or bloody OYSTER
This peculiar shade OF biyalve is seen
mostl y III warm weather. and Is very much
abhorred by packers, as few or these
oysters in shipment OF five or ten gallons
in bulk give the entire package the ap-
pearance of being lover Iipe, and in the
West, where the stock is distributed, the
red oyster has very depressing effect
on the oyster trade.
From what can be learned from prac-
tical oystermen, this species of oyster is
not considered of the best quality, as the
cUloring is brought about by foreign in
fluences, but the flavor is equally as good
as that of the stock OF natural color.
Packers have, formerly, shucked them
and mixed them with the clear -colored
stock, but they have found SO much uD-
lection to them-in some instances causing
refusal os coaSignments at their destina-
tion-that they have decided to throw
on the shell pile all off-colored oysters
that may come into the hands Of their
sbucEerS.
AS to the cause of the disColoration,
there are varieties OF opinions. one dealer
said: 1T has always been my opinion that
the red cclOr in oysters is caused by gases
in the hold of boats. 1t is generally known
among oystermen and boat owners that a
certain quantity of gas-and powerful gas,
tCo-accumulates i'll the hold of all vessels,
and | believe that when this gas becomes
{, o strong, the oyster is affected.
The oyster is one of the greatest alb
sorbent bodies that one can imagine. Now,
for instance if you would deposit a pint
rHa hclr j.Nft l-yrn t-.GS
that comes here with shell oysters, then
batten down the matches and leave them
closed for several hours, when opened YOU
would find that the entire cargo was ufai {
for use, so pronounced would he the taste
of OIL in each oyster. / placed bushel
of oy sters in washtub not long ago, and
when | was ready to eat them / found
they had absorbed the odor of soap al
though the tub was perfectly dry
Another dealer said: THE warm weather,
I believe, is accountable for the redness in
some oysters which come to this port, al
though l know no one who has ever been
able to discern the actual cause of the dis
colordtion. Just now, when the nights
are cold, we find but few of these oysters
in the boats, but during the few weeks
just past they began to labor against the
sale OF the stock to no small degree.
think the red oyster is as healthy as any
other, as the dScoloration is usual V
noticed on fine, large, plump stock; but the
appearance is not at all appetiZing, and
makes them hard to dispose of We at
tribute the greeniSh hue of some oysters
to the class Of food which they may con-
sumo in some localities; but the red oyster
is confined to no particular territory,
though cargoes from the Western Shores,
Potomac river and Poplar Island show
the greatest quantities OF this red stock
In very cold weather / never remember
having seen a red oyster, and this gives
me the opinion that it is caused by at
IN mospheric changes