The Portland daily press., 1896-05-05
CULTIVATION OF BLUE POINTS.
Connecticut Claims Most of the Credit for
Their Productio n.

(From the Bridgeport, Conn, Standard.
The old saying that there are tricks in
every trade does not except even the
oyster industry, although, fortunately,
in the latter they are not at all hurtful.
pril l is the time when one of the
greatest tricks of the Long Island oyster
man is begun. On crossing the lower
bridge that morning there might have
been noticed number of oyster sloops
tied side to side under the breakwater,
with several of the local oyster steamers
unloading into them. The number in
this harbor was about eight, but this
fleet will rapidly increase to much larger
proportions, as little later in the season
as many as fifty oyster boats will be
seen in the harbor, all taking cargoes
from oyster steamers.
The local dealers early in the fall buy
from the oystermen the set Of that year,
dredging from the natural beds OF the
harbor. This spat is nothing but tiny
OYSTERS clinging to bits of wood. stone,
or anything which will afford them
surface to which they may cling. The
dealers take this spat and plant 1T in
their private beds. 1t Is left there for
about three years and cultivated and
we'll taken care Of. The little oyster
grows rapidly for shellfish, and 80 BY
the time it is wanted it has attained
about the size of the forefnger, or per-
| haps little less
| 1t is these oysters the fleet of boats are
now taking from the dealers, after three
years growth upon private beds. On
the LIST OF April they begin to sell this
| three years. growth to the oyster feet,
which comes from the ocean side of Long
Island, from Great South Bay, from
Shrewsbury, Rookaway,. and along the
coast as far east as Providence.
The vessels load up with this three
years growth of oysters, which are then
taken to the beds ON the ocean coast of
Long Island. There they are dumped in
to the briny waters of the ocean and al
lowed to remain until fall. This is called
the Sailing" process-that Ia, the oysters
are allowed to fatten in the salt water OF
season begins, these salted oysters are
taken up, packed in barrels and shipped
all over the country. They go as far
West as San Francisco. and all along the
Eastern coast, and to Europe. These are
called genuine Blue Points, so just
| ~ C6l0Urht6U IOf b001f Q0l1clOuS uAYOf.
This flavor is the result of three years.
growth on the Connecticut coast and a
few months OF sailing IN the ocean.
| Fully two-thirds Of these so-called Blue
Point oysters are furnished by dealers
on Long Island Sound. The supply of
real Blue Points is SO small in oompari-
son to the demand that If the dealers
were supplied with the genuine article
the oysters would be worth their weight
in gold. Many a European connoisseur
has smacked his lips over the delicious
| favor of make believe Blue Point soy-
ster, and the people, even in this city,
little know that when they buy their
| Blue Points on the half shell the large
majority of these delioiously favored BIZ
valves comes from Bridgeport Harbor
and can be picked up at any time by
walking along the beach,
| But everybody is satisfied. The oy-
sherman who dredges for the spat gets
| 70 cents barrel by selling to the local
dealers. After the dealers have allowed
the spat to grow for about three years
they get about 81. 90 for the small oysters.
The men who send boats here to bring
the oysters to their beds let the
bivalves rest for term of six months,
and they sell every barrel they can get
off their beds for $l2. The purchaser is
satisfied with the oyster, for it has q
good flavor, and the chances are that he
has never tasted a genuine Blue Point
in his life. In spite of the trick everyone
is satisfied. but Connections should have
the credit of the production of such nice
ly favored oysters instead of Long. Island.